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

Mr BURNELL (Spence) (13:17): The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 and the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Amendment Bill 2026 are important reforms. They are legislative changes that recognise a simple reality: gambling in Australia has changed dramatically over the past decade yet our laws have struggled to keep pace.

Once upon a time, if someone wanted to place a bet, they made a conscious decision to do so. They might have gone to a TAB, picked up the phone or visited a venue. Today, gambling sits in every pocket.

It's available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a device that millions of Australians carry with them everywhere they go. That unprecedented accessibility has brought unprecedented harm. This is a new reality that we cannot ignore.

The Albanese government takes seriously its responsibility to protect Australians, particularly children, young people and vulnerable Australians from the harms of online gambling. This legislation is about ensuring that Australians remain in control of what they see, when they see it, and how often they are exposed to gambling advertising. Most importantly, it is about making sure that children can grow up loving sport without believing gambling is simply another part of the game.

I've spoken to teachers who have told me some of their students are already using gambling apps. Think about that for a moment. Teachers are now raising concerns, not simply about excessive screen time or social media but about children engaging with gambling products.

That should concern every member of this House, because if young Australians are interacting with gambling before they're even old enough to place a legal bet then something has gone seriously wrong. We cannot pretend this has happened by accident. It is the result of years of gambling becoming normalised in Australian life.

It's become woven into our sporting broadcasts, our entertainment and our online experiences in ways that would have seemed unimaginable only a generation ago. Now, I love Australian sport. Like millions of Australians, I enjoy sitting down with family and friends to watch the footy or the cricket.

Sport has always been one of the great unifiers of our country. It brings communities together; teaches teamwork, resilience and respect. It gives young Australians heroes to look up to and dreams to chase.

But today it is becoming almost impossible to turn on a football match without being bombarded by sports gambling advertisements. Before the opening bounce, there are betting odds. During the breaks, there are gambling commercials.

At half-time, there are gambling promotions and live bet trackers. As soon as the final siren sounds, the advertisements begin again. If you're watching online, they follow you there too through streaming services, social media, news sites, podcasts and search engine results.

Quite frankly, they have become unavoidable. That constant saturation has consequences. When children repeatedly see gambling promoted alongside every major sporting event, it sends a dangerous message.

It tells them that betting is simply part of supporting a team. It tells them that gambling is as normal as buying a ticket, wearing a guernsey or cheering from the stands. That is not the message we should be sending to the next generation.

Our children deserve the chance to fall in love with sport because of the skill, the teamwork, the courage and the community it inspires, not because they know the betting odds before they know the team lists. This legislation recognises that distinction. It seeks to restore a healthier relationship between Australians and the sports they love.

Importantly, these reforms are not about telling adults that they cannot make their own choices. Australians are perfectly capable of making informed decisions. This government recognises that.

What we reject is the idea that every Australian, whether or not they gamble, should be subjected to an endless stream of advertising designed to encourage them to place just one more bet. The purpose of this bill is to strike the right balance. It protects individual choice while recognising that governments have a responsibility to reduce harm where harm is clearly occurring, and it reflects the expectations of Australian families who simply want to watch their favourite sporting team without gambling being pushed into their living room every few minutes.

This parliament has an opportunity to reset that balance, and I believe we have a responsibility to do so. This legislation achieves that balance through a comprehensive package of reforms that recognise that gambling harm cannot be addressed by a single measure alone. Instead, it tackles the issue from multiple angles, reducing unnecessary exposure to wagering advertising, strengthening consumer protections, disrupting illegal operators and closing loopholes that have allowed harmful products to flourish online.

At the heart of these reforms is a simple objective: we want Australians to be able to enjoy sport without gambling constantly being placed in front of them. That means changing the environment that has developed around our major sporting codes. For too long, wagering companies have been allowed to attach themselves to some of Australia's most cherished sporting moments.

The result has been the gradual erosion of the line between watching the game and betting on the game. That line should never have become so blurred. From 1 January 2027, gambling, advertising during live sport will be significantly restricted.

Television advertising will be prohibited during live sporting broadcasts between 6 am and 8.30 pm, ensuring that children and families watching weekend football, cricket and other major sporting events are no longer subjected to a relentless stream of wagering promotions. Outside live sport, strict limits will apply to the volume of gambling advertising shown during daytime and evening viewing hours.

These are sensible reforms. They recognise that Australians should not have to accept gambling advertisements as the price of enjoying free-to-air television. The legislation also addresses another growing concern.

Increasingly, wagering companies have relied on celebrities, current athletes and online influencers to promote betting products. This has been particularly effective in targeting younger audiences. Many young Australians spend far more time watching content creators online than they do watching traditional television.

Those personalities carry enormous influence. When gambling is promoted by sporting heroes or internet personalities that young people admire, the advertising becomes more persuasive and far more difficult for younger audiences to critically assess. That is why this legislation prohibits gambling promotions by celebrities, athletes and influencers.

Sporting stars should be remembered for their achievements on the field, not for encouraging young Australians to download betting apps. Likewise, influencers should not be used as a back door to market gambling products to audiences that include children and teenagers. The connection between sporting success and gambling promotion has become far too close.

This legislation begins to untangle that relationship. It also extends beyond our television screens. Australians increasingly consume entertainment through streaming services, podcasts, social media platforms, music applications and online news.

The advertising industry knows that. Gambling companies know that. They have followed Australians wherever they spend their time online.

That is why these reforms include comprehensive restrictions on online wagering advertising. Whether someone is watching a video, scrolling through social media, listening to a podcast or searching for information online, the expectation should not be that gambling advertisements are waiting around every corner. Online platforms will have a clear responsibility to comply with these reforms.

If they choose not to implement the necessary restrictions, then the consequence is equally clear: they simply cannot display gambling advertising. The responsibility rests with the platforms because they are best placed to control what appears before Australian users. Importantly, the legislation also provides users with greater control over their own online experience.

Australians who maintain wagering accounts will have access to improved opt-out functionality and family-friendly account settings, giving individuals more say over whether gambling advertising appears in their digital environment. Technology should empower consumers, not manipulate them. Australians deserve greater control over what enters their homes, appears on their phones and reaches their children.

Another welcome reform contained within this legislation is a prohibition on gambling advertising appearing on sporting jerseys and within stadiums. For many children, their first football jersey is something they genuinely treasure. It represents the club they dream of playing for one day.

Those symbols should not become walking billboards for gambling companies. Likewise, our sporting venues should celebrate athletic excellence and community spirit, not serve as permanent advertisements for wagering operators. Removing gambling branding from jerseys and stadiums sends an important message: our sporting culture should be defined by the game itself, by the players who inspire us and by the communities who support them, not by the betting markets that seek to profit from every contest.

Most importantly, they are reforms that put Australian families ahead of the commercial interests of the gambling industry. These reforms extend well beyond advertising restrictions. Reducing exposure to gambling advertisements is only one part of the solution.

If we are serious about reducing gambling harm, we must also strengthen consumer protections, disrupt illegal operators and close the loopholes that continue to exploit vulnerable Australians. That is exactly what this legislation does. A key feature of the bill is the strengthening of BetStop, Australia's national self-exclusion register.

Since its introduction in 2023, more than 61,000 Australians have registered to exclude themselves from licensed online wagering services. Behind every one of those registrations is someone making a difficult decision to seek help. That decision deserves the support of this parliament.

The review of BetStop found that public awareness remains far too low. Only one in four Australians know the service exists. Even among people who have gambled in the previous 12 months, awareness rises only to one in three.

That tells us there is more work to do. These amendments will strengthen BetStop by providing greater protection from gambling, marketing and inducements for those who have chosen to self-exclude. The accompanying cost recovery levy bill will also support the national awareness campaign, ensuring more Australians know where to turn before gambling harm takes hold.

The legislation also delivers stronger action against illegal offshore gambling operators. Australians deserve the protections provided under Australian law. Illegal operators sit outside those safeguards and expose consumers to greater financial risks with little accountability.

This legislation is designed to help Australians, from teenagers to the elderly. At its core, this legislation will better protect children from exposure to gambling and wagering products. Australians experiencing gambling harm will have stronger support and more effective pathways to seek help.

Greater enforcement powers will help disrupt illegal operators seeking to circumvent Australian law. Importantly, existing regulatory gaps will be closed to ensure emerging gambling products cannot exploit loopholes at the expense of consumers and communities. Most importantly, it ensures that from 1 January 2027 Australian families can enjoy the sports they love without gambling dominating the experience.

Like so many people in this room, I have a young adult child. I've got many nephews and nieces that are in that target audience. They've got friends at school who've just left school who are struggling with addiction.

They need every single support we can offer them and that's exactly what this bill does.