As residents of the municipality with one of the highest recorded gambling losses in Victoria, Brimbank locals have expressed their disappointment over the federal government’s delay in adopting reforms to ban gambling advertisements.
A parliamentary inquiry into online gambling tabled its bipartisan recommendations in 2023, which included a call for a comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling over a three-year period.
Two years on, the federal government is yet to action those reforms.
According to Brimbank council, the municipality had the highest gambling losses in the state, with almost $173 million lost on electronic gambling machines (EGMs) in the region in the 2022-23 financial year,
This averages about $437,700 in losses per day, and for resident Graeme Blore it’s a “massive” setback for the community.
“The reality is that gambling continues to proliferate in Brimbank,” he said.
Mr Blore was one of many residents to welcome the anti-gambling advertising recommendations when they were first introduced, but the wait to see them implemented has been frustrating.
“Adopting those [reforms] are a crucial first step because we need to nip the problem in the bud,” he said.
“One of our key concerns is that people continue to be saturated with advertising, they’re getting more and more exposed.”
Mayor Thuy Dan said putting the reforms in place needed to be a priority.
“Gambling harm happens every day, and the sooner that reforms are enacted the sooner the community will benefit,” she said.
“We call on the major parties to commit to implementing these recommendations if they are elected in the upcoming federal election.”
A spokesperson for federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the need for taking “meaningful action” was clear.
“We continue to work through the 31 recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry into online gambling, including in relation to advertisements,” the spokesperson said.
“We recognise this is taking longer than hoped, but it’s critical that we get this right to ensure future reforms are effective and comprehensive.”
