Labor\u2019s long-awaited gambling reforms have passed the first major hurdle after securing majority support from the Coalition.
The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 passed the House of Representatives 103 to 14 shortly before 6pm on Tuesday, with a number of amendments which sought to strengthen enforcement, including those moved by independents Monique Ryan and Kate Chaney, knocked back. <\/p>\n
It will now go to the Senate where the Coalition will help pass the measures, despite divisions among the opposition\u2019s ranks on whether the laws go far enough. <\/p>\n
The government\u2019s separate National Self-exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Amendment Bill 2026 and Interactive Gambling (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 also passed the lower house.<\/p>\n
Passage of the bills through the Senate is contingent on backing from the Coalition after the Greens withdrew support for the legislation in its current form, citing a need to enact a full online ban and the banning of all inducements. <\/p>\n
Communications Minister Anika Wells told the House of Representatives on Tuesday that \u201cbipartisan agreement\u201d had been reached with the opposition. As part of the negotiations, Labor agreed to 16 amendments. <\/p>\n
Among these included: increasing the blackout period for gambling ads ahead of live sport to 15 minutes from five, pushing the start time of TV and radio restrictions to 5am from 6am, and banning betting companies from providing commissions based on customer activity. <\/p>\n
The legislation would also ban inducements for three months after Betstop deregistration, as well as enforce \u201cstrong penalties\u201d if opt-out options are not displayed. <\/p>\n
The latter refers to a new opt-out register for gambling ads funded by a levy applied on wagering operators.<\/p>\n
These amendments made the proposed laws \u201cstronger\u201d, Ms Wells said. <\/p>\n
Anthony Albanese said Labor\u2019s legislation, alongside the amendments, would \u201cmake an enormous difference\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese issues are not simple. These issues are one in which we want to make sure that we identify those most at risk and take action to provide protection for them,\u201d the Prime Minister said. <\/p>\n
The laws, once enacted, would be subject to review after three years. <\/p>\n
Opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh said the Coalition\u2019s amendments aimed to deliver a \u201cmiddle ground\u201d between personal choice and protections for vulnerable Australians. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese significant, commonsense amendments will help protect vulnerable consumers from foreseeable gambling harm while preserving a lawful industry and pastime for many Australians,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Amendments would \u2018curtail\u2019 legal ads <\/p>\n
Responsible Wagering Australia, which represents Sportsbet and other major betting companies, said amendments agreed to between the Coalition and the government were unnecessary and complex. <\/p>\n
Chief executive Kai Cantwell said the industry had engaged constructively through the Senate inquiry process.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese measures will significantly curtail our ability to advertise a legal product safely to adults\u201d Mr Cantwell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis new global opt-out system, akin to BetStop, is proposed to be designed, developed, and implemented in less than four months. Betstop, which is a simpler concept, took more than four years from inception to implementation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Cantwell claimed the amendments would not affect the illegal, offshore wagering market.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you push people away from the licensed, regulated market \u2013 by banning or limiting the promotions that let local operators compete, or by making Australian odds less competitive with new taxes and levies \u2013 you don\u2019t stop them punting,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou push them offshore, into products with no consumer protections, no support, no Betstop, and no contribution to Australian sport and racing. In fact, these sites actively undermine sports integrity and consumer protections.\u201d<\/p>\n
Divide in Coalition on new Bill<\/p>\n
But NewsWire understands six Coalition members expressed a desire for the reforms to go further. <\/p>\n
Of these, two were Nationals MP Pat Conaghan and Liberal MP Andrew Wallace who crossed the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday to vote against the amendments.<\/p>\n
Mr Wallace later told News24 he would cross the floor again to vote against the entire Bill. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think that we have this unholy alliance between sport and gambling, where young kids are being preyed upon,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201c \u2026 And in all good conscience, these reforms don\u2019t go anywhere near enough to correcting those bad elements. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re putting too much faith in the hands of the gambling company. And quite frankly, they have not demonstrated that they deserve that faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deal comes after a Senate inquiry heard illegal drugs, sex workers and other inducements were allegedly offered by Sportsbet and Tabcorp to a young gambler \u2013 a claim both betting companies deny. <\/p>\n
\u2018We deserve better\u2019: Scamps<\/p>\n
But Teal MP Sophie Scamps was among the most scathing of Labor\u2019s critics, saying the deal was \u201cpiecemeal\u201d and \u201cweak\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cAustralians are the biggest losers to gambling in the world and over 400 die by suicide each year linked to gambling addiction,\u201d Dr Scamps said. <\/p>\n
\u201cYet the major parties will crow about doing a deal that will be ineffective and which prioritises the profits of gambling corporations over the wellbeing of Australians.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe deserve better.\u201d<\/p>\n
This sentiment was echoed by critics of the legislation, including independent senator David Pocock who warned the crackdown did not go far enough, after a Labor-majority committee recommended the Bill be passed. <\/p>\n
More to come<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Labor\u2019s long-awaited gambling reforms have passed the first major hurdle after securing majority support from the Coalition.The 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