The Australian Labor Party is considering shelving its proposed crackdown on gambling advertising instead of agreeing to substantial changes demanded by the Senate. The draft legislation, introduced by the Albanese government, currently lacks support in parliament, with the Coalition, Greens, and crossbenchers pushing for extensive amendments to better protect children and vulnerable Australians from gambling harms.

A senior Labor source told ABC Australia News that while the government is open to some changes to secure the bill's passage in the Senate, it will not entertain major rewrites. In such a case, the bill would likely be withdrawn, leaving existing restrictions in place.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed a similar stance during Question Time in July, stating, "This is good reform … and the parliament should vote for it."

Labor's plan includes limiting gambling ads on television to three per hour between 6pm and 8:30pm, restricting radio ads during school pick-up and drop-off times, and banning logos on player jerseys or promotions in stadiums. However, critics argue the bill weakens the previous Coalition government's 2018 ban on gambling ads during live sports broadcasts by allowing digital platforms to show gambling ads during scheduled and unscheduled breaks, subject to an untested 'triple lock' opt-out, raising privacy concerns. Additionally, the five-minute gambling ad blackout before and after live sports between 5am and 8:30pm has been removed.

Under the proposed legislation, underage Australians would be blocked from viewing gambling ads, and adults would have the option to opt out across all online platforms, including streaming services.

During a recent inquiry, Bateman, who did not initially disclose his prior employment in the gambling industry, confirmed to ABC that he worked for Southern Cross Bet for six months shortly after leaving the NRL.

If the bill does not pass with amendments, the government may maintain the status quo, according to sources.

Sources