Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, National Self-exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Amendment Bill 2026

Ms ROBERTS (Pearce) (12:10): The incorporated speech read as follows— I would like to speak in strong support of the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026. This is a significant and important piece of legislation that reflects the Albanese Labor government's commitment to reducing gambling harm, protecting vulnerable Australians and, most importantly, ensuring that children and young people can grow up without being constantly exposed to gambling promotion.

Australians love their sport. It is part of who we are. Whether it is families gathering around the television to watch a weekend match, children pulling on their boots to play for their local club or supporters proudly wearing their team's colours, sport should bring people together.

It should inspire participation, teamwork and community pride. What it should not do is serve as a vehicle for relentless gambling promotion. For too long, gambling advertising has become woven into the sporting experience.

It has become difficult to separate the excitement of the game from the promotion of wagering. Families watching together are exposed to repeated gambling advertisements, odds updates and marketing messages that have become so commonplace they are almost expected. The reality is that Australians have told us they have had enough.

Community expectations have changed. Australians want stronger protections for children. They want to enjoy sport without gambling messages appearing at every opportunity.

They want reasonable limits placed on advertising that has become inescapable across television, radio and online platforms. This bill responds directly to those concerns. It delivers a comprehensive suite of reforms designed to reduce gambling harm while recognising that governments have an important responsibility to protect the community from practices that create unnecessary risk.

One of the most significant elements of this legislation is the package of advertising reforms contained in schedule 1. The government is taking decisive action to reduce children's exposure to gambling advertising by introducing clear and enforceable restrictions. The bill bans wagering advertisements during live sporting broadcasts between 6 am and 8.30 pm.

It also bans the broadcasting of sporting odds during those broadcasts. These are practical reforms that acknowledge a simple reality. Children should be able to watch their favourite sporting team without being encouraged to associate sport with gambling.

The legislation also addresses the overall volume of gambling advertising. In recent years, Australians have seen an extraordinary increase in the number of wagering advertisements on television. At times, viewers have been exposed to as many as eight gambling advertisements in a single hour.

That level of saturation is simply unacceptable. Under this legislation, gambling advertising on television will be capped at no more than three advertisements each hour between 6 am and 8.30 pm. Importantly, children travelling to and from school will also be protected through restrictions on gambling advertising during school drop-off and pick-up times on radio.

These measures acknowledge that reducing harm is not simply about individual advertisements. It is also about reducing the constant presence of gambling messages in everyday life. The reforms extend beyond traditional media.

Increasingly, gambling companies have shifted their focus online, using digital platforms, streaming services, podcasts, search engines and social media to reach consumers. This legislation addresses that reality. Online gambling advertising will be prohibited unless a person is logged into an account, is over the age of 18 and has the ability to opt out of receiving gambling advertising.

This triple-lock approach represents a significant shift in the way gambling advertising will operate online. It means children will not be exposed to these advertisements while using online services, and adults who do not wish to receive gambling advertising will be able to opt out. Responsibility also rests with online platforms themselves.

If platforms choose not to implement these safeguards, the consequence is straightforward—they will not be permitted to display gambling advertising. This is a balanced and practical approach that places community wellbeing ahead of commercial interests. The bill also recognises that gambling companies continue to develop new methods of advertising.

We have seen increasing use of athletes, celebrities and social media influencers to normalise gambling and encourage participation, particularly among younger Australians. Many young people follow sporting stars and online personalities whom they admire and trust. Those relationships should not be exploited to encourage gambling.

That is why this legislation prohibits gambling companies from entering arrangements with athletes, celebrities or influencers to promote wagering products. It does not matter how many followers an influencer has or which platform they use. The principle is clear.

Those with public influence should not be used to market gambling products to Australians, particularly young Australians. Equally important are the reforms designed to break the connection between gambling and sport itself. Australians should not expect to see gambling logos displayed on sporting uniforms, around sporting grounds or throughout sporting venues.

This legislation removes gambling advertising from sporting venues and bans gambling branding on players' and officials' uniforms. The reforms also extend to training sessions, press conferences and grassroots sporting events. These measures recognise that sport belongs to communities.

It should not be defined by gambling promotion. The bill also strengthens Australia's response to illegal offshore gambling operators. Illegal gambling services operate outside Australia's regulatory framework and without the consumer protections that licensed Australian providers are required to meet.

The government has already blocked more than 1,700 illegal gambling websites since 2019. However, this legislation strengthens those efforts by giving regulators and financial institutions better tools to respond quickly. Banks and payment providers will be required to block transfers to illegal gambling operators.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will be able to share information with financial institutions to assist those efforts. Digital services, including search engines and app providers, will also be required to restrict access to illegal gambling services and their advertising. The legislation further enables ACMA to issue rapid take-down notices to digital platforms and influencers promoting illegal gambling services.

Together, these reforms create a stronger and more effective framework for protecting Australians from illegal operators. Another important feature of the bill is the strengthening of BetStop, Australia's national self-exclusion register. BetStop provides Australians experiencing gambling harm with the opportunity to self-exclude from licensed online and telephone wagering providers.

Since its introduction in 2023, more than 65,000 Australians have registered, with more than 39,000 people currently self-excluded. Those numbers demonstrate both the importance of the service and the need for continued improvement. Technology changes rapidly.

Marketing practices continue to evolve. This legislation ensures BetStop can evolve alongside them. The reforms extend marketing restrictions beyond emails and text messages to include app notifications, push notifications and emerging forms of digital communication.

They also implement the recommendations arising from the statutory review of BetStop, improving clarity, usability and consumer protection. These are practical reforms that strengthen an already valuable harm reduction measure. The legislation also takes firm action against emerging gambling products that present significant risks to consumers.

One of these is online keno. Sometimes described as 'pocket pokies', online keno combines rapid play, high spending limits and continuous accessibility through mobile devices. The capacity for financial harm is significant.

People can lose substantial amounts of money within minutes. The government has concluded that these products provide no meaningful community benefit and that banning online keno is an appropriate and necessary response. The bill also addresses foreign matched lotteries.

These businesses have developed operating models designed to exploit loopholes in Australia's existing laws. Rather than conducting lotteries themselves, they purchase overseas lottery tickets on behalf of Australian customers. This creates uncertainty regarding consumer protections and raises legitimate concerns about whether winnings would ultimately be honoured.

Beyond those consumer risks, these businesses undermine Australian lotteries, charities and thousands of small businesses that rely on legitimate lottery sales. By closing these loopholes, the legislation protects Australian consumers while supporting local businesses and community organisations. Similarly, the bill addresses fake trade promotion lotteries that operate under the guise of promotional competitions while using unclear payment arrangements and confusing operating models.

These practices have resulted in consumers losing money and, in some cases, prizes not being delivered, because operators failed to comply with relevant licensing requirements. They also divert valuable revenue away from legitimate charity lotteries that provide significant benefits to Australian communities. This legislation makes clear that the privilege of operating lottery products in Australia comes with responsibilities.

Consumers deserve transparency, fairness and confidence that, when they participate in a lottery, the rules are genuine and the protections are real. Gambling harm affects individuals, families and entire communities. While many Australians choose to gamble responsibly, we also know that gambling harm can have devastating financial, emotional and social consequences.

That is why governments have an obligation to act where appropriate to reduce those harms while protecting consumers. This legislation represents the strongest package of gambling reforms in Australia's history. It reduces children's exposure to gambling advertising.

It breaks the connection between gambling and sport. It strengthens BetStop. It gives regulators stronger powers to tackle illegal operators.

It protects consumers from harmful online gambling products. And it supports charities and small businesses by closing loopholes that undermine legitimate lottery operations. Finally, I acknowledge the lasting contribution of my good friend the late Peta Murphy.

Her work as chair of the parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm highlighted the need for stronger protections and placed the experiences of affected Australians firmly at the centre of this national conversation. Her commitment to reducing gambling harm continues to influence the work of this parliament, and these reforms represent an important step in continuing that legacy.

This bill demonstrates that governments can respond to changing community expectations and take practical action to protect Australians. It recognises that families should be able to enjoy sport without being overwhelmed by gambling promotion, that children deserve better protection from harmful advertising and that Australians experiencing gambling harm deserve stronger support.

I commend the bill to the House.