After becoming owners of Nine Entertainment Media and Seven West Media, a prominent anti-gambling organisation in Australia is trying to get two major TV networks to stop advertising gambling.
AGR (Alliance for Gambling Reform) joined SIX, a platform for activist investors to try to influence media policy through a shareholder’s resolution. This move follows AGR’s criticism of Australia’s gambling ad regulations, which fell short of a ban as called for by the Murphy Report last year.
Reverend Tim Costello, AGR’s chief advocate, said he had purchased the minimum amount of shares at Nine and Seven West. He encouraged other to follow suit. They have plans in place to present a resolution at this year’s AGMs of the businesses that would ban gambling advertisements.
This resolution calls for the complete removal of gambling ads from all platforms, including television, radio and streaming services, as well as digital, print, and publishing. AGR states that Australia’s corporate laws only require 100 shareholders to submit a resolution.
Seven West is the owner of Seven, Australia’s largest broadcast TV network. It also owns The Sunday Times, 7News, and The 7News Website. Nine owns the Nine Network as well as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald.
AGR supports ban
Costello stated in a press release: “It is clear that the big media firms will not tackle this scourge until they’re forced to.” Costello said: “It’s clear that these big media companies will not tackle the scourge of gambling ads until they are forced to.”
Costello said that 7 out of 10 Australians wanted gambling ads on television to be prohibited. He also cited figures suggesting Australians lose AU$25bn (PS12.85bn/EUR15.09bn/$16.58bn) each year to gambling, which is “the highest per capita spend in the world”.
Adam Verwey is the CEO and founder of SIX. He said, “This resolution will challenge super funds and institutional investors to support it, as there’s such a broad support from community members.” It’s difficult to deny that super funds’ financial interest is best served by banning gambling advertisements, given the enormous community costs of gambling.
Proposals for gambling ads by the government
According to Friday’s reports, officials from the Ministry of Communications met with stakeholder groups to discuss government proposals for gambling advertisements. These proposals were developed after a bipartisan inquiry led by late Labor MP Peta Murphry.
According to reports, online advertising and ads during programming for children would be banned. It would be banned before, after and during sports broadcasts. However, it will only apply to general programs. The ban would be limited, but not total, as AGR and other opponents to the industry had hoped. The print advertisements will be exempted, so gambling ads can still be seen in the newspapers.
According to reports, the ban on internet and social media ads will be in effect from July 20,25. Restrictions on broadcast advertising would begin July 2026.
Bill Shorten claimed earlier this month that a ban of gambling advertisements would undermine the free-to air media, which, he said, is under attack by digital platforms like Facebook.
Shorten told ABC Australia’s Question and Answer programme: “I am not convinced that a complete ban works.” “We’re in a wicked situation, where some free-to air media are now dependent on gambling advertising revenue to just stay afloat.”
