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

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia—Manager of Australian Greens Business in the Senate) (19:33): I just want to be clear here. This is what the government is setting itself up for: to promise the Australian people that you'll put in place new laws to restrict the actions of a gambling company but, if the gambling company does not obey those laws, there's nothing you can do about it.

This is like fining people for speeding day after day after day, drink-driving and speeding—they might even crash and kill somebody—and you've got no power to put them in jail. This government's bill is useless. It is useless.

You want us to believe in fining these gambling companies a couple of million dollars for breaching some advertising law when they're banking $104 billion off the losses of Australians? Do you know how much money the gambling industry spends on advertising? It's $600 million a year, and you think a little slap on the wrist in the form of a $1½ million fine is going to be the bogeyman in the corner that's holding them to account.

It beggars belief that the government thinks that the parliament should take you seriously. It is quite clear that this entire piece of legislation is designed to look like you're doing something while doing nothing. It is riddled with holes, loopholes and carve-outs.

It is designed to fail. There is a reason that the gambling industry is happy for it to pass. Because it's not going to change the dial one iota.