The AFL and NRL are pushing aside gambling harm to profit at their fans’ expense | Tim Costello

At a time when it seems every political leader is happy to join the pile-on against our two major supermarkets, there is a stunning resistance to levelling any criticism at our two major sporting codes despite their wholehearted embrace of gambling and the damage it is causing, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.

The AFL and the NRL are profiting at the expense of their supporters and embedding gambling advertising so deeply within the games that a whole new generation of supporters are indoctrinated in the odds just as much as the code.

In a little-known deal, the AFL not only enriches itself through gambling advertising revenue, it even receives 10 cents for every dollar made by corporate bookmakers on the game.

In last week’s lead-up to the AFL Grand Final , I met the prime minister to talk about this urgent issue.

The prime minister was good enough to make the time to meet with me after suggesting, falsely, in question time that I want all gambling banned.

He says privately, just as he does publicly, that there is still no decision on the suite of gambling reforms outlined by the late Peta Murphy in the wake of an intensive and thorough investigation into online gambling in this country.

But Albanese’s government received the Murphy report more than 15 months ago.

His government also highlights its achievements in relation to gambling reform such as the banning of credit cards for some gambling and also the implementation of the national self-exclusion scheme, BetStop. (Although serious questions about BetStop’s efficacy have been raised after one man lost nearly $70,000 after signing up for a lifetime ban under the scheme.)

It is clear this reform alone is not enough.

My fear, after meeting with the prime minister, is that Albanese is like a parochial football fan. He appears to only see what he wants to see. He only appears to believe in the evidence that he is hearing from the gambling lobby, the big sporting codes and the broadcasters.

His public and private comments reflect “chapter and verse” the position of the likes of the NRL chairman, Peter V’landy’s.

The gambling industry and its allies (including the two major football codes) have launched a three-fold argument against the proposed Murphy report reforms.

First, it argues that a gambling ad ban reflects an extreme ideology.

Of course, if you accept this you have to accept that Murphy, the former Labor MP, and the entire membership of her committee – which included the Liberal-National Coalition – are ideologues. (The recommendation of a total ban on all gambling advertising over three years was unanimously agreed upon by the committee.)

Second, the gambling lobby argues that gambling advertising isn’t the problem, it is gambling and, they argue, the real gambling problem relates to poker machines and lotteries.

As with any good myth, there is a kernel of truth in it.

The latest research reveals that just over half of the nation’s gambling problems derive from poker machines (between 52% and 57%), while wagering (sports and racing) accounts for more than 20% of problems. Casino gambling accounts for up to 14%, Keno up to 6% and lotteries barely 1%.

So, yes, it would be amazing if the prime minister also showed national leadership and initiated sweeping national reforms across the states’ to poker machine use. The former prime minister Julia Gillard received crown law advice that she had the power to do this – before the political pressures forced her to back down.

But first, Albanese must do something about online gambling advertising, which does sit squarely in his own jurisdiction.

It is salient to realise that while poker machines still cause the most harm, the growth of their losses (7.6%) are far outweighed by the 55% growth in losses on wagering.

And one thing driving this incredible and disturbing growth – especially among young men – is the tsunami of gambling advertising that swamps our screens everyday – more than 1m ads a year.

And, finally, the industry argues that a gambling ad ban would hurt junior sport. Yet the codes spend far too little on junior footy while paying their executives multimillion-dollar salaries.

This is one reason why 76% of AFL supporters want a gambling advertising ban on television and radio, as recommended by the Murphy report.

Australians lose more than $32bn each year to gambling, the highest per-capita spend in the world.

Gambling harm is a massive public health issue, linked to poor physical and mental health, poverty and homelessness, criminal activity, family violence and suicide.

It is time for the prime minister to listen to Australians and not the likes of the AFL and the NRL or the betting industry, with their obscene salaries.

Tim Costello is chief advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform