The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has defended the government’s intervention in gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts, declaring it has balanced community concerns with the economic needs of broadcasters.
Ms Gillard formally announced the government’s demand that TV and radio networks ban the promotion of live odds and restrict gambling advertisements during sporting matches in a press conference at Kirribilli on Sunday afternoon.
Soon afterwards the Australian television industry announced that it had agreed to the demands.
“From the moment the players step onto the field from the moment they leave the field there will be no live odds,” Ms Gillard said.
Tom Waterhouse would be banned from continuing to spruik live odds during sports games under restrictions proposed by the federal government.
“Families have become increasingly frustrated about the penetration of live odds into sporting coverage, and worried that their son or daughter is now talking about the game, not through the prism of what’s happening on the field but through the prism of the associated betting.”
Under Labor’s demands – which come several weeks after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott flagged a Coalition government would take action against televised betting – all promotion of betting odds on broadcast media would be banned during games.
Under the new rules, gambling advertisements would be prohibited during commercial breaks while matches are being played, however they would be allowed during breaks in play such as quarter-time or half-time, and before or after a game, the Prime Minister’s office confirmed.
The new rules also allow crosses to gambling representatives. A spokesperson for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy told Fairfax Media that the gambling representatives could not spruik odds for games (either the one being broadcast or others) during breaks in play but they were allowed to promote ”generic material”.
Ms Gillard asked broadcasters to submit a revised code to the industry regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
But some, including the Greens and independent Senator for South Australia, Nick Xenophon, say the government’s proposed restrictions do not go far enough.
Senator Xenophon on Sunday questioned why the government wouldn’t go further to address the issue ”rather than stopping a third of the way”.
Ms Gillard responded to this criticism at the press conference, stating that the government had considered a total ban on all gambling advertising during broadcasts, but felt the proposed changes went far enough.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/gillard-moves-to-ban-live-odds-restrict-gambling-ads-during-games-20130526-2n4tc.html#ixzz2UNgyZJC1
• Andrew Wilkie: A positive but small step “A ban on live odds will still allow gambling advertising and gambling spruikers during sports broadcasts, including when our children are watching, and that’s simply not OK. “The community is sick and tired of gambling advertising ruining their enjoyment of the game and appalled that their children are being bombarded with such advertising. It must stop and until it is stopped the Government is failing the community very badly.”
