Join the push for a sports gambling ad ban🚫

Dear Friends, 

It’s been a little while since I last wrote to you. Saying this, I have a really important ‘ask’ for you. 

Gambling reform is Wesley Mission’s primary advocacy goal, in part due to the feedback we receive from our staff who were seeing the large scope and scale of gambling harm amongst the people we serve across a wide range of our programs. 

About a year ago, former Federal ALP MP Peta Murphy handed the government the “You Win Some, You Lose More” report that recommended ways to deal with online gambling harm. Peta Murphy’s Joint Parliamentary Inquiry consulted extensively, and across party lines. Members of the committee, drawn from Labor, the Coalition and the cross-bench, unanimously backed all recommendations.   

The key recommendation was a phased full ban on sports gambling ads. To date, the government has made no announcements on this recommendation, or any of the other recommendations, except that they are consulting further.  

Today, I’m asking you to write to the Prime Minister and Minister for Communications asking that they announce a ban on sports gambling ads. With footy finals just around the corner, and the spring racing carnival following soon after, our screens will be bombarded with an avalanche of gambling ads. Now’s the time to put our collective hand up to say enough is enough. 

Write a quick message now

Recent research by Roy Morgan shows: 

• nearly 1 million people betting online are severely or moderately harmed by gambling  
• 18% of 18–24-year-olds betting on sport are being harmed by their gambling  
• 34% of losses to online gambling operators comes from the 10% of gamblers who are most impacted by gambling harm.  

We know that the community wants a ban on sports gambling ads. We know that these ads entice people to gamble when they hadn’t otherwise planned to, and ads normalise all gambling. We know the full ban on tobacco advertising worked, and the same can work for sports gambling ads.  

People in our communities are entitled to be safe. The Prime Minister and Minister for Communications know what the right thing to do is, but they are being lobbied intensively by the gambling industry, the broadcast TV industry (which earns money from ads), other media interests and the sports codes themselves (who get a cut of every bet made on their sport).   

Let decision makers hear from people who are not making money from gambling – let them hear from you. Every email, even a few sentences explaining your concern and asking for a sports gambling ad ban, will make a difference.

Thanks for considering my request. I will be in touch again soon! 

Write to the Prime Minister now

Warmest regards,