Australian TV shareholders urged to support gambling ad ban

Garance Limouzy September 4, 2024

In Australia, those supporting a ban on gambling ads to take a stand. With the government still undecided on whether to implement such a ban, advocates are taking matters into their own hands.

Targeting shareholders

The Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) has launched a campaign encouraging TV network shareholders to back a blanket ban on gambling advertising in Australia. The campaign primarily targets the shareholders of Nine and Seven West Media (SWM). According to the AGR, if as few as 100 shareholders mobilise, it could make a difference. “Shareholder resolutions at company annual general meetings are commonplace overseas but are rarely used in Australia due to our strict Corporations laws which require 100 shareholders to propose a resolution,” explained the AGR. These shareholders could push to end all gambling advertising, not only on the television channels owned by the networks but also on other platforms, including radio, streaming services, and newspapers.

“We can’t achieve gambling reform until we’re inside these companies”

Reverend Tim Costello, the brother of Nine’s former Chairman Peter Costello, is the chief advocate of this new campaign. He explained, “We can’t achieve gambling reform until we’re inside these companies. I’ve bought the minimum parcel of shares in these companies. If others do the same or use their existing shares to support this campaign, that’s how we get inside these companies and push for change. The media companies are completely out of touch when it comes to gambling ads. Seven out of ten Australians want gambling advertisements on TV to be banned. Australians lose $25 billion each year to gambling, the highest per capita spend in the world.”

Meanwhile, some sports betting operators, such as SportsBet and Entain, have already acknowledged public opinion and proactively reduced the volume of their advertising campaigns.

The government’s stance

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared on 3 September that his government “has not come to a conclusion; we’re in discussions.” He added, “I’ve seen reports that allege they know what the position is. Well, they don’t. What we’ve been doing is having consultations to ensure we get the reforms right. We know that problem gambling is an issue, and we want to address those issues constructively.”

“My government has already done more in the first two years on problem gambling by establishing a register to stop problem gamblers, by changing the use of credit cards for gambling, and by altering the rules and declarations that follow advertising. But we’re continuing to engage with media organisations, sporting organisations, and the anti-gambling lobby. We’re engaging constructively. That’s what good governments do—they reach out and engage constructively,” concluded the Prime Minister.