There is growing frustration in the government caucus about the delay to gambling advertising reforms, according to a group of Labor MPs who say they want the communications and sports minister, Anika Wells, to take action.
Documents recently released under freedom of information laws revealing details of Wells’ meetings with major TV broadcasters about wagering restrictions show her department has conceded the popularity of an ad ban, but is concerned about what it could mean for sporting codes and media companies.
About a dozen Labor MPs have been discussing gambling reform, with some members saying the group is experiencing a “groundswell” of support.
Labor MPs backing an ad ban claim they have sought a meeting with Wells for several months. Another MP said some have felt they are not being listened to.
“It’s fair to say frustration is growing within people I’m speaking to and that the frustration is probably because they’re not having the opportunity to have those conversations,” one Labor MP said.
“It’s not going to go away. It’s not just us driving it – there are other members of parliament who are driving this from outside the party and we need to be doing something about it.”
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There is widespread support for gambling reform across parliament. Former opposition leader Peter Dutton had committed to a gambling ad blackout for an hour before and after live sports broadcasting, while the Greens and independent MPs including Andrew Wilkie, Kate Chaney and David Pocock have pushed for reform.
The government has been under pressure to respond to a committee report, chaired by late Labor MP Peta Murphy in June 2023, calling for a phased-in ban on all online gambling advertising, among more than 30 other recommendations.
Albanese has defended the delay in responding to the Murphy review, claiming his government made more reforms to gambling than “any other in history”. He has promised to “work through” remaining issues, while voicing concern about the effect on media company revenue.
One Labor MP said colleagues felt 2026 was the year they needed to act on Murphy’s report and that a growing number were keen to see that issue resolved.
Wells’ office was contacted for comment. A government spokesperson has cited the introduction of Betstop – a national self-exclusion register for licensed gambling services – and a ban on using credit cards for gambling as examples of Labor’s action on gambling issues.
“The Albanese government takes seriously our responsibility to protect Australians – particularly children and young people – from the harms of online gambling,” the spokesperson said.
“We will continue working to protect people from the harms of Australian gambling. That is why we continue to meet with harm reduction advocates, broadcasters and sporting codes as we seek to further minimise the harms of gambling.”
Labor MP Jerome Laxale last week wrote on social media that gambling reform was “unfinished business for this government”, adding: “We owe it to the communities impacted every day by gambling harm to keep this issue on the national agenda and deliver real change.”
The shadow communications minister, Melissa McIntosh, accused the government of “dragging the chain” since receiving the Murphy report nearly 1,000 days ago.
“The harms of gambling on individuals and their families are broad and pervasive – from problems in relationships, the family home, on work or study and to people’s physical and mental health,” McIntosh said. “How much longer will the Albanese Labor government sit on this report and do nothing while so many Australians suffer?”
Documents released on the communications department’s freedom of information disclosure log last month detailed that “the government undertook confidential consultations in late 2024 with key stakeholders … on a wagering advertising reform model”, including WIN corporation, Foxtel and Nine Entertainment.
A briefing note prepared by the department conceded that “wagering advertising reform is contentious and stakeholders hold divergent views”. It states that a gambling ad ban has “widespread support from the public, harm reduction advocates and some members of parliament”. It also notes a ban on ads would “have financial impacts for broadcasters and sports”, which earn “significant revenue” from broadcast rights deals and product fees from betting.
On Thursday, an investigation by the communications watchdog found six betting agencies, including Tabcorp and Picklebet, breached Betstop rules “that protect people who registered”. Chaney said the government had to do more, writing on X: “We have to stop letting these companies call the shots & properly regulate the industry. 949 days since Murphy review and still no govt response.”
Late last year, some gambling industry sources said they expected the government to update its plans over summer. But senior sources, who said they had heard no further information during the summer holidays, said wagering companies wanted to know what Labor was planning for the industry.
One source said the government had been in consultation mode for years and they believed Labor could move quickly if it decided to – but added they felt public pressure for the government to act on gambling ads had softened. The source said gambling companies were preparing by changing how and where they advertised.
