Former Liberal MP slams Coalition for backing Labor's gambling reforms
Former Australian Liberal MP Jenny Ware has criticised her ex-Coalition colleagues for supporting the Labor government's gambling legislation, which stopped short of a full ban on wagering ads, saying vulnerable Australians were let down.
Australia's parliament passed the government's gambling reform legislation on Wednesday night but stopped short of a full ban on wagering advertisements, drawing sharp criticism from former Liberal MP Jenny Ware.
Ware, who took part in the 2023 parliamentary inquiry led by the late Peta Murphy that recommended completely ending wagering advertising and inducements, described gambling as a public health crisis requiring a much stronger response from both major parties. She said the passed legislation fell well short of the inquiry's recommendations.
What the new law covers
The government has described the reform as the strongest wagering legislation ever enacted. Television ads will be capped at three per hour between 5am and 8.30pm, online ads will be shown only to adults with a mandatory opt-out option, advertising on players' jerseys and at stadiums will eventually be banned, and new restrictions will apply to inducements, celebrity endorsements and staff commissions tied to gambling losses. However, uncertainty remains over how a new opt-out register will operate, with industry sources saying they were only informed of the plan on Monday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells said the reforms balance protecting vulnerable people with the rights of Australians who choose to gamble. The government chose not to impose a full ban on online gambling ads and inducements, as Murphy's report had recommended.
Criticism from within and outside the Coalition
Ware praised the small number of former Coalition colleagues who crossed the floor to vote against the bill and push for stronger measures, and expressed disappointment that the opposition largely backed the government, blocking tougher, evidence-based amendments proposed by crossbenchers. She said she had personally met families who lost loved ones to gambling-related suicide, families the prime minister declined to meet.
Wells separately marked three years of the BetStop self-exclusion register, noting 67,000 total registrations, with 41,000 people currently listed.
