You win some, you lose more. This government tagline on gambling advertising, adopted as part of the National Consumer Protection Framework, aptly sums up the evidence received during this inquiry. If the status quo of online gambling regulation, including but not limited to advertising, was to continue Australians would continue to lose more – more money, more relationships, more love of sport for the game rather than the odds.

This inquiry considered whether the current regulatory framework for online gambling and gambling advertising in Australia is fit for purpose and meeting community expectations. The Committee received powerful evidence from people with lived experience of online gambling harm, and from academic and health experts, peak bodies, community organisations and concerned individuals about the harm online gambling is causing to everyday Australians, the people they love, and to their communities.

Australians outspend the citizens of every other country on online gambling. This is wreaking havoc in our communities. Saturation advertising ensures our future losses. Only online wagering service providers (WSPs), major sporting organisations and media gain from the status quo. This inquiry heard evidence from gamblers who lost and were encouraged by WSPs to gamble more; and from those who won and were prevented from gambling further. Any business model which encourages harm deserves to be closely scrutinised.

Australians do not like being flooded by messages and inducements to gamble online and worry about the effect this is having on children and young people. Most believe that gambling is harmful for society and that it has become too easy to gamble in Australia. Almost half of Australians surveyed in 2022 placed a bet on sports or racing and about two thirds of those people are at risk of harm. It is easier now than ever before to lose big with a few taps on a mobile phone.

The Committee shares the concerns of many witnesses and the community that the status quo is leading to a generation of young Australians who view gambling and sport as inextricably linked. This is concerning, not only because of the potential increase in Australians experiencing gambling harm, but also about changes to the culture of sport. Australia would be diminished if sport was to be so captured by gambling revenue that providing an opportunity for betting came to be seen as its primary purpose.

Key recommendations:

• The Committee recommends that responsibility for online gambling harm reduction is held by a single Australian Government Minister.
• The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, with the states and territories, develop a comprehensive national strategy on online gambling harm reduction.
• The Committee recommends that the Australian Government develop and fund an ongoing, online gambling public education campaign.
• The Committee recommends that the levy for online gambling harm reduction support the national regulator to work with all jurisdictions on best practice prevention, detection, early intervention, treatment and rehabilitation programs for people experiencing gambling harms.