Tasmania was about to introduce Australia's strongest gambling reforms - mandatory cashless cards with $100 daily and $5,000 yearly loss limits to protect families from pokies harm.

The government abandoned these life-changing protections after pressure from the gambling industry.

Sign now to demand they put Tasmanian families first.

Tim Costello, Chief Advocate for The Alliance, has slammed the Labor government for abandoning Peta Murphy’s legacy on gambling reform. Despite 70% of Australians supporting a gambling ad ban, the government has “squibbed any reform at all,” bowing to pressure from vested interests like sports betting companies, media giants, and sporting bodies.

Costello said: “What happened is pretty simple in my view. The vested interests cowed the PM into dishonouring Murphy’s legacy. Those vested interests start with the obscenely rich foreign-owned sports betting companies.”

With over a million gambling ads bombarding free-to-air TV annually, families are demanding change. Gambling ads are grooming children and normalising harm. Let’s protect our kids and hold the government accountable.

Kate* lost her brother to gambling harm when he was just 24. Despite seeking help and self-excluding, he was relentlessly targeted by gambling ads. “Inducements were definitely a turning point,” Kate explained. "He was so ashamed of himself and he took full responsibility for his addiction, which is absurd because this is a highly addictive product that literally changes brain chemistry, increasing dopamine thresholds.”

Australia loses $32 billion annually to gambling, with devastating effects on families like Kate’s. Despite overwhelming public support for a gambling ad ban, politicians have delayed action. It’s time to prioritise lives over profits.

Short Segment: https://youtu.be/XKrSGCUonAw

Rev Tim Costello’s advocacy for justice began in his youth and solidified when he witnessed the devastating impact of pokies on a mother jailed for four years after losing $60,000 to gambling harm. It was a pivotal moment that sparked his decades-long fight against gambling harm and inequality.

Reflecting on the systemic issues enabling such harm, Costello notes there were no protections or consumer warnings when pokies were introduced. He warns that Australia’s social fabric is under strain but remains hopeful: "I fear for my grandchildren. But if I give in to despair, that’s much worse. That’s not fair to my grandchildren, the next generation."

Join The Alliance to combat gambling harm. Together, we can create a fairer future. Donate today.

The chair of the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission Jenny Cranston tells Leon Compton on ABC Tasmania Mornings that the other harm-reduction initiatives the government has committed to, including facial recognition, are ineffective.

"I'm incredibly disappointed and very very very saddened by the fact that we had almost within our grasp the ground-breaking initiative that would protect so many Tasmanians and be so good for this industry," she says.

Victoria is slashing poker machine load-up limits from $1,000 to $100 and mandating carded play by 2027, setting the benchmark for tackling gambling harm. Meanwhile, Tasmania has delayed its reforms, choosing industry pressure over protecting families.

Tim Costello applauded Victoria’s move, stating, “Mandatory carded play is the long overdue reform… but it has always been defeated by the power of the predatory pokies industry.”

The federal government has deferred its response to the Murphy Report on online gambling harm, sparking outrage.

Alliance CEO Martin Thomas said: “It beggars belief that a report by a Labor MP, with the unanimous support of all the political parties on the committee, could be delivered almost 18 months ago now and neither the government or the opposition has made any official response to its recommendations.”

With 70% of Australians supporting a ban on gambling ads, Thomas warns: “if politicians don’t lead on this issue, there will be a backlash at the polls.”

It’s time for urgent reform to protect Australians.

🚨 The Alliance is fighting for safer communities by addressing gambling harm. CEO Martin Thomas outlines three urgent priorities:
1️⃣ Online gambling & advertising bans: With over 1 million gambling ads aired annually, the industry's overreach is blatant. Ads targeting kids through sport and social media are grooming the next generation. It’s time to ban gambling ads and inducements entirely.
2️⃣ Poker machines in local venues: Australia is one of the only countries where poker machines are in neighbourhood pubs, not just casinos, exacerbating gambling harm.
3️⃣ Casino regulation failures: Despite scandals, casinos continue unchecked, exposing glaring flaws in oversight.

Australia loses a staggering $32 billion annually to gambling, much of it from those already struggling. Gambling harm affects families, fuels domestic violence, and contributes to as many as 20% of suicides in Australia.

With bipartisan and crossbench support, The Alliance is leading the charge to pressure the government to implement the Murphy Report’s 31 recommendations—a blueprint for the most significant gambling reforms in Australian history.

🔗 Join the fight to end gambling harm. Donate now to help drive change.

Tim Costello has slammed the government for failing to deliver a promised ban on gambling advertising, accusing them of bowing to vested interests like the AFL, NRL, and major media companies. The government previously pledged to pass reforms this year but has delayed action, leaving the public frustrated.

“It’s a fascinating insight into democracy. Seventy-two to 80 per cent, in different surveys, say Australians want a total ban – full Murphy report. And you normally say, ‘oh, well, if it that’s strong, that’s how democracy works, it will happen’,” Mr Costello said.

“The insight is not if the vested interests, the ones who have captured government ... say ‘don’t you dare’. The vested interests at the moment are frustrating what is overwhelming public opinion.”

The 2022 Murphy Inquiry recommended a total ban on gambling ads, reflecting public opinion. Yet reforms have stalled while Australians continue to be bombarded with gambling ads during live sports.

The Tasmanian Government has back flipped on a promise to implement a universal cashless card which would limit the amount of money people could spend on pokies annually.

“The government has effectively moved to protect the obscene super profits that are being made in Tasmania’s 90 poker machine venues – at the cost of the public of Tasmania who are being devastated by pokies losses.” Said Alliance Chief Advocate Tim Costello

MP for Nelson, Meg Webb on ABC Radio: