The Australian government has been urged to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to clamp down on gambling advertising, as anti-gambling advocates and public health experts await the outcome of a parliamentary inquiry that is expected to issue policy recommendations this week.
The head of the inquiry, Labor MP Peta Murphy, has already cited powerful evidence of community harm, and the recommendations are expected to call for further restrictions to gambling advertisements before and after live sport broadcasts.
That idea now has bipartisan support. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, used his budget reply speech to lobby for change and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has expressed his personal dislike of the ads.
