Australian Labor Party delegates have backed stronger national gambling oversight and additional protections for young people but stopped short of endorsing the creation of a dedicated federal regulator.
Australian Labor Party delegates have unanimously approved changes to the party’s gambling policy following debate at its national conference in Adelaide.
The revised platform commits Labor to strengthening the powers of existing national regulators and requiring them to report annually to Parliament on their enforcement activity.
However, delegates did not endorse the creation of a standalone national gambling regulator, despite renewed pressure from party members and unions before the conference.
The adopted policy also commits Labor to examining further measures to prevent online games and social media platforms from exposing children and young people to gambling-like features and embedded inducements.
Labor delegate Linda Scott said gambling had been formally included in the party’s national platform for the first time.
The changes would support stronger enforcement, restrictions on wagering advertising, increased financial counselling and measures preventing gambling operators from receiving tax deductions connected with practices contributing to harm, she said.
“Gambling companies operate in insidious and unethical ways,” fellow delegate Kat Hardy said.
“The Australian public knows this, and they expect their government to act.”
The conference decision shapes Labor’s policy platform but does not itself amend federal law or require the government to establish a new regulatory body.
Australia’s gambling framework remains divided between federal, state and territory authorities. The Australian Communications and Media Authority enforce federal online gambling and advertising rules, while state and territory regulators oversee licensing and most land-based gambling activity.
The 2023 You Win Some, You Lose More parliamentary inquiry recommended national regulation of online gambling, supported by a dedicated regulator, ombudsman and levy on online wagering operators. It described the existing framework as fragmented and inconsistent.
Labor’s federal government has instead introduced legislation imposing new restrictions on wagering advertising, strengthening enforcement against illegal offshore operators and expanding the BetStop self-exclusion framework.
The bill would ban wagering advertising during live sport at specified times, restrict television and radio advertising and prohibit gambling promotions featuring athletes, celebrities and social media influencers. It has not yet passed Parliament.
