A nationwide parliamentary inquiry focused on people hooked on online gambling will involve issues such as advertising of live sports betting services and so-called loot boxes available in video games.
A probe into online gambling and its impact on gambling addicts, as well as underage individuals, will be heard by the chair of the standing committee on social policy in the lower house of Parliament, Peta Murphy MP, who has previously shared with her colleagues that she is willing to further crack down on gambling advertising during sports events. She noted that the inquiry was aimed at really interrogating how effective the current regime is when it comes to minimisation of problem gambling behaviour.
Ms Murphy has explained that people were talking about the in-game items that were essentially a form of gambling or at least mimicked gambling, and how easily they could be accessed, by both children and adults.
The probe, which may inform government policy changes, is set to examine the effectiveness of the existing online gambling regulations and advertising restrictions, including different forms of advertising such as social media campaigns or promotions through branding or sponsorships. Apart from that, it will also take into consideration proposed action against so-called loot boxes available in video games that encourage players to spend real or virtual money on special item packages that can enhance their gaming experience.
The parliamentary inquiry will accept submissions until November 2022. In 2023, investigators are set to tour the country to directly meet with victims of gambling addiction and their families.
Further Restrictions on Gambling Advertising and Loot Boxes to Be Considered to Tackle Gambling-Related Harm in Australia
Under the existing rules enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), gambling advertising and promotion of odds is banned from five minutes before the scheduled start of a live sporting event until five minutes after play, as well as during breaks, between 5:00 AM and 8:30 PM.
During the rest of the day, other rules apply, with representatives of gambling operators being suspended from participating in commentary teams or even appearing to broadcast from the sports venue. Also, no gambling advertising and promotion of betting odds is allowed during live events but such promotions are allowed during breaks. Despite these rules, viewers say sports betting adverts still appear during live broadcasts.
The Federal Government has been under pressure to be more proactive and take action against gambling operators. Crossbenchers such as Andrew Wilkie, a long-time anti-gambling campaigner, have called for an inquiry into sports betting advertising in the country, as they fear a constantly increasing number of children are getting exposed to various gambling promotions.
Some local media hubs, such as The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, also revealed some concerning issues regarding sports betting advertising. In August, the two media hubs reported that some gambling addicts searching for help online were actually shown sponsored gambling advertisements of digital betting platforms.
Any recommendations that the probe could result in would be taken into consideration by the Government and the Minister of Social Affairs Amanda Rishworth. Earlier in September, Ms Rishworth said that Australia’s Federal Government remained committed to tackling online gambling. At the time, she further noted that the competent authorities were expected to implement the remaining measures of the National Framework by the middle of 2023.
- Author
Daniel Williams
