This week is Gambling Awareness Week. This article by Chris Eyre of Christian Daily International based on the views of the Australian Christian Lobby reveals the extent of the gambling crisis in this country.
Australia has the highest gambling losses per person in the world, according to the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), which is urging the federal government to confront what it calls a national addiction crisis fueled by powerful industry interests.
ACL Chief Executive Officer Michelle Pearse said Australians lose more money to gambling each year than any other country — an estimated A$32 billion last year.
The real figure, she warned, is likely much higher when illegal online betting and underground gambling dens are included.
Behind those losses, Ms. Pearse asserted, are families torn apart, suicides, domestic violence, and lives “unravelled by an industry that thrives on addiction.”
“It’s time for the Church to rise — to pray, to stand together, and to break the strongholds gripping our nation.”
“TOO MANY POWERFUL PLAYERS KEEPING AUSTRALIANS HOOKED”
Despite years of parliamentary inquiries and public outcry, the ACL boss said meaningful reform remains stalled because “gambling is big business, and too many powerful players profit from keeping Australians hooked.”
She described the scale of harm as “staggering,” pointing to poker machines — found not just in casinos, but in pubs and clubs across the country — as the “biggest culprit.”
“These machines are deliberately designed to addict, using flashing lights and ‘near win’ sounds to keep players chasing losses,” Ms. Pearse added.
“In Australia, they are disproportionately concentrated in poorer suburbs where desperation can be most easily exploited.”
“TAX ON THE POOR BY STEALTH”
Michelle Pearse called the issue a “tax on the poor by stealth.”
She wrote that machines can be placed every three seconds with bets of up to A$10, which means gamblers can lose thousands of dollars every single hour.
Calls to reduce the maximum bet to A$1 have gone unheeded, she lamented.
“The numbers are shocking, but behind them are real people.”
“CHILDREN PRIME TARGETS OF GAMBLING INDUSTRY”
A particular concern is the effect of children being drawn into gambling, according to the Christian rights advocate.
“‘Loot boxes” in video games, sports betting ads, and influencers are all normalising gambling for youngsters, she said.
Ms. Pearse is sceptical about industry claims of age verification.
The Australia Institute recently found that 600,000 children gambled A$18 million (US$11.8 million) in the past year, while nearly half of 18 to 19-year-olds gambled more than A$200 million.
“CHILDREN BEING GROOMED INTO GAMBLING”
“Early exposure is a proven gateway to problem gambling later in life,” said Ms. Pearse.
“This is not an accident. It is grooming, plain and simple.
Just as tobacco companies once hooked children on cigarettes, the gambling industry is preparing its next generation of ‘loyal customers.’”
The ACL CEO asked rhetorically why so little had been done about the problem, adding there was enough evidence about it.
GOVERNMENTS IGNORED RECOMMENDATIONS OF FEDERAL INQUIRY
She pointed out: “The 2023 federal Murphy Inquiry into online gambling laid out 31 recommendations, including a total ban on advertising, mandatory pre-commitment limits, a national regulator, and stronger protections for children.”
“But the federal government is dragging its feet. More than 70% of Australians support a ban on gambling ads.”
“Initially, a three-year phased ban was considered. Now, under pressure from the gambling lobby, media companies, sports leagues, and clubs, the plan has been watered down to a vague ‘reduction’ in advertising.”
Anti-gambling campaigner and Baptist minister Reverend Tim Costello is often quoted as saying reducing adverts rather than banning them, will have the same effect as it did with tobacco: it entrenches, rather than ends the harm.
“VESTED INTERESTS HAVE CAPTURED OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM”
“The truth is that vested interests have captured our political system. State governments are addicted to gambling revenue,” observed Michelle Pearse.
She alleged that the Australian Labor Party owned clubs in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory; that some unions profit from poker machines; and media companies cash in on ad dollars.
Sporting codes often depend on gambling industry sponsorships, she added.
“The result? Politicians can always find a reason to delay,”
5% OF GAMBLERS PROVIDE 77% OF INDUSTRY PROFITS
“Community organisations that benefit from gambling-funded grants are rolled out to oppose reforms. And all the while, vulnerable Australians continue to be exploited.”
Gambling is not just another consumer choice, it is an industry built on deliberately exploiting addiction, said Ms. Pearse.
She cited the Grattan Institute which found that just 5% of gamblers provide 77% of the industry’s profits.
“In other words, the business model depends on problem gamblers,” she said.
“DO WE VALUE HUMAN DIGNITY OVER PROFIT?”
“That is why reform is not just a policy debate. it’s a moral test.
Do we value human dignity over profit?
Do we believe children should grow up free from predatory industries?
Do we accept that governments and big business should protect the vulnerable, not exploit them?”
OPTIMISM DESPITE THE CHALLENGES
However, Michelle Pearse is optimistic of a resolution despite the challenges about the hold of gambling in Australia.
She pointed out that the country had “beaten predatory industries before.”
“We once had one of the highest smoking rates in the world.
Today, we have one of the lowest, thanks to plain packaging, advertising bans, and public health campaigns.
Gambling reform demands the same courage.”
ACL’S REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS
The Australian Christian Lobby has proposed a six-point reform plan aimed at reducing gambling harm and curbing industry influence.
Recommendations include banning all gambling advertising, introducing mandatory pre-commitment limits and cashless gaming cards, protecting children, establishing a national regulator, treating gambling as a public health issue, and breaking the stranglehold of vested interests.
The ACL boss argues that if it is too dangerous to advertise cigarettes, it should be considered too dangerous to advertise gambling.
International evidence, she said, shows that mandatory limits and cashless cards work.
They not only reduce gambling harm but also prevent organised crime from laundering money through poker machines.
This is Gambling Awareness Week. The Australian Christian Lobby and Wesley Mission are hosting a Prayer Webinar on Monday (October 20) evening from 6:30 pm AEDT.
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