Australia’s Labor government and the opposition Coalition have held a second round of talks on the government’s gambling advertising bill, moving the two major parties closer to a deal that would narrow the legislation’s reach on inducements rather than broaden it.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor met early Tuesday evening for the second time in as many days, according to the ABC, which reported that the negotiations have focused on VIP inducements offered to high-value gamblers, protections for people who remove themselves from the national self-exclusion register, and the rules governing online advertising.
Coalition sources told the broadcaster it was unusual for the two leaders to meet twice on a single legislative matter, attributing the frequency to Albanese’s direct involvement in the negotiations.
The bill under discussion is the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, introduced to parliament on July 2nd alongside the National Self-exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Amendment Bill 2026. Both were referred to the Senate’s Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, which is due to report on August 17. The reforms are scheduled to commence on January 1st, 2027, subject to passage. As introduced, the bill caps gambling advertisements on free-to-air television at three per hour between 6 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. and bans them during live sport broadcasts within that window, while restricting online advertising to logged-in, verified adults and banning uniform and stadium advertising.
Neither side is pursuing a wholesale rewrite. Major changes such as an opt-in system for online advertising or a total ban on inducements are not on the table, with Albanese having previously ruled out reopening the draft. The Coalition has instead asked Labor to target inducements at the top end of the market – VIP offers such as access to exclusive events, game-day tickets, and large bonus-bet packages – while leaving mass-market promotions in the range of AUD25 ($18) untouched. The ABC reported that the opposition has also sought a cooling-off period preventing operators from sending inducements to customers immediately after they exit the government’s Betstop self-exclusion register.
On streaming, the Coalition has proposed giving platforms a choice between complying with a so-called triple lock – restricting ads to logged-in, over-18 users who have not opted out – or adopting the tighter advertising rules that apply to television. Harm-reduction advocates have criticized the triple-lock approach on the grounds that a compliant platform could show unlimited ads to logged-in adult users who have not opted out. Industry sources told the ABC that one issue under discussion is a crackdown on the practice of paying VIP account managers commissions tied to customer losses, though the broadcaster noted that Sportsbet and Tabcorp reported last year that they no longer do so.
The negotiations follow a two-day Senate inquiry hearing that drew national attention. Former NRL player Luke Bateman told senators he had been offered free interstate travel, race-day hospitality, and, he alleged, illegal drugs by a wagering company’s VIP account manager as it sought to strengthen the relationship during a period of heavy losses. Independent Senator David Pocock asked Bateman to confirm that senior company levels were aware of the conduct, to which Bateman replied that they were not only aware but participating, according to RNZ and AAP reporting of the hearing.
Sportsbet and TAB have denied the drug allegations. The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Reverend Tim Costello and lived-experience advocate Mark Kempster gave supporting testimony describing similar VIP practices as widespread.
The push to address inducements traces to the 2023 report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, You win some, you lose more, chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy. That report made 31 recommendations, including a phased, comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising within three years and a ban on inducements. Labor members voted last month to adopt a pledge to tackle inducements in the party’s 2026 national policy platform, and several backbenchers have publicly pressed the government to act after the draft bill omitted the issue.
The bill has struggled for support since its introduction, opposed as drafted by the Coalition, the Greens, and the crossbench. A Labor-Coalition deal on a narrower inducements clause is the more likely path to passage than a broader agreement satisfying Pocock and the Greens, both of which continue to call for a complete advertising ban.
Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said Communications Minister Anika Wells had signaled the government was willing to amend the bill to limit inducements, but questioned how far it would go, telling the ABC she had no confidence Taylor would negotiate the strongest outcome. Within the Coalition party room on Tuesday, five backbenchers reportedly pushed for tougher reforms while four cautioned against over-regulation, a split also reported by The Guardian.
Labor is seeking Senate passage by the end of the parliamentary fortnight, which would require the Coalition party room to sign off on a final deal within days. Albanese has described the package as the strongest anti-gambling legislation in Australia’s history.
Australia records the highest per-capita gambling losses in the world, estimated by the Australia Institute at around AU$31.5 billion ($22.4 billion) in the 2022–23 financial year.
