Australia is set to introduce bans on gambling ads, but the country already has warnings

Last year a cross-party parliamentary committee recommended a total ban on gambling advertising in Australia

But after months of intense lobbying by the media, sports companies and major football governing bodies, it seems that the government will be willing to make a small decision.

Changes could include limiting gambling advertising to two spots per hour, banning it during sports games, and limiting it during other programs aimed specifically at children.

While we wait for the government to sort out its laws, and with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese fending off attacks on the issue – including from within his own party – should we look outside Australia for advice?

Last year Belgium implemented a ban on gambling advertisements across television, radio, cinemas and public spaces.

What was the impact of the ban – and what can Australia learn from it?

Gaps will be found

The Belgian government’s ban has banned gambling advertisements through direct advertising, and on free-to-air television, radio and social media.

Professor of Sports Management at the University of Ghent, Bram Constandt, tells ABC RN’s Saturday Extra that it is important to understand that, although the ban is extensive, it does not include everything.

“It’s not a complete ban,” says Professor Constandt, who was involved in advising the Belgian government in the lead-up to the ban on gambling ads implemented.

Some forms of gambling advertising are still allowed in this country. These include sponsorships, gambling companies promoting their online channel, and business-to-business marketing.

The strong rules will come into force in September, and will be a “comprehensive multi-step approach”, says Professor Constandt. That includes raising the minimum age for use of all gambling products from 18 to 21.

And, from next year, sports sponsorship will no longer be allowed in Belgium.

But there are “many opportunities” for the law, Professor Constandt says.

These include an exception to the ban on sports sponsorship; now, the logos of the sponsoring gambling company are still allowed on the jerseys, or on the stadiums.

This too is set to end with the introduction of tougher laws next year.

Another gap is that gambling companies are able to make new deals with foundations or causes that sports teams can be associated with, as opposed to actual sports organizations.

Professor Constandt says: “Gaming companies have really addressed these gaps with great success.

“They use whatever they can find in the law to remain visible, online and offline, despite the ban.”

‘Tough’ regulator solutions to loopholes

It is the role of the gambling regulator to step in and strictly control the situation where loopholes are being used by gambling companies, Professor Constandt says.

In his opinion, the Belgian manager is declining. He says it is understaffed and under-resourced, and acts “as an advocate rather than an independent regulator”.

Australia must “invest in a strong gambling regulator”, he argues.

“Of course, as in Australia, [Belgian] gambling companies, media organizations and sports organizations are using all their abilities to legalize them, but so far they have not succeeded.”

It is too early to judge the outcome

Professor Constandt said it was too early to say whether the restrictions in Belgium had reduced gambling standards in the country.

Last year’s figures show that 2023 saw a significant increase of 50% from the previous two years in the revenue of the Belgian gambling industry.

But Professor Constandt notes the advertising restrictions were only introduced in July last year, so he says it’s too soon to judge their impact.

But he believes that public opinion favors change.

“I think in Belgium … people believe more that prohibition is admirable,” he says.

“[Gambling] to some extent an industrial engine that builds on slavery as a model of profit.

He says: “Gambling advertising contributes to the risk of gambling; it affects attitudes, intentions and behaviour, and there is increasing scientific evidence in Belgium and beyond that the ban on gambling advertising it will help,” he says.

Does free TV need gambling advertising dollars?

Earlier in August, federal minister Bill Shorten told the ABC’s Q&A program that “some of the free media need gambling advertising money … to stay afloat”.

According to Andrew Hughes, a lecturer at the Australian National University’s school of management, “the argument that we need to protect gambling advertising to protect major media brands is baseless” and the arguments the same were once done to protect. advertising rights of tobacco companies.

Professor Constandt also rejects this argument.

“We hear [it] and Belgium,” he says.[But] in Belgium, there is no evidence that their income is decreasing. “

Another argument against gambling advertising bans is that a complete ban would see people move to illegal gambling sites or gambling on the dark web.

But he says the argument has no “logic”.

“There is no ban on gambling. Not at all. No one is arguing that we should ban gambling. There is a ban on advertising of gambling… The legal part of the market is still is there, so there is no escape or migration to the illegal market.

“We have the first evidence from Spain, because the ban is not unique to Belgium; many European countries have similar bans, and in Spain, they can argue that everything [gambling companies warned about] it didn’t happen, so media companies didn’t collapse or collapse.

His final advice for Australia?

“Try to avoid immersion and continue to present the scientific evidence that is available.

“When it comes to gambling research, Australian experts are some of the best in the world, the most outstanding experts. There is growing evidence, and it is there, but people still need to listen to it.

“The policy should not be built with commercial interests, but with scientific evidence.”