Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken for the first time about calls to tighten gambling laws, warning that a blanket ban on advertising would be difficult to enforce.

His comments, reported by ABC News, come as the government weighs up a rapid review into family, domestic and sexual violence which includes a call for tougher action on the alcohol and gambling industries.

This has added further pressure on the Labor government to press ahead with gambling law reform. Led by commissioner Micaela Cronin, the review suggested a ban on gambling ads, caps on gaming machines and stronger rules for online betting.

When asked about the proposal, Albanese told ABC: “What’s in our mind is practicalities of whether people just go offshore, then there’s no revenue at all. They engage in gambling with no revenue coming back at all. And it doesn’t solve the problem.”

He said advances in technology made enforcement harder, but pointed to steps already taken such as blocking credit cards for online wagering, a measure written into law in 2023 and in effect since summer 2024

Albanese added that ministers are still considering the report’s recommendations and trying to balance harm reduction with measures that can work in practice.

Review highlights risks

The review was ordered after a spike in domestic violence led to an emergency cabinet meeting in May. It urged more crisis accommodation and a national plan to tackle misogyny and radicalisation online, alongside gambling and alcohol reform.

The panel found operators had not done enough to confront the role their industries play in fuelling abuse, sitting alongside concerns around other adult industries, such as the availability of pornography for young people. 

Government response still pending

Albanese said a formal response will come in the months ahead but stopped short of backing a full ad ban. Instead, he stressed that reforms already underway show the government is moving, though ministers are still weighing the best approach.

Crossbench MPs and advocacy groups continue to push for stronger measures, but the government may not be entirely on board with a total ban on advertising, instead preferring partial restrictions.

There is also industry lobbying to consider. There was a lot of specualtion that the reason gambling reforms were shelved ahead of the Australian election in May was due to the government not wanting to get involved in a showdown with lobbyists – this reluctance could still linger.

However, Albanese’s remarks to ABC News are a clear sign yet that gambling reform is still firmly on the table, even as debate continues over how far the government is willing to go.

Gambling reform delays

The Albanese government had pushed back plans to tighten gambling ads until this year, a move which came despite a 2023 report from the late MP Peta Murphy which called for a three-year phase out of betting ads to protect young people from gambling harm.

Instead of a full ban, Labor is considering smaller measures such as restricting when ads can appear and how many are shown, pointing to the effect a total ban could have on media and sports.

Some argued however that the government is letting industry pressure slow reform, as noted above regarding the discourses around the Australian election. 

Independents such as Andrew Wilkie and the Greens have flagged political donations from gambling companies as a reason why stronger rules have stalled Many worry that Australians are still seeing way too many ads promoting betting every day. 

Some states are not waiting – New South Wales has banned gambling ads on public transport and Western Australia has tightened rules and increased penalties for companies which break them.

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