In early April, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced he was finally implementing several restrictions on gambling advertising.

The long-awaited announcement was unveiled – or perhaps buried – in Albanese’s National Press Club address on the fuel crisis, held on the eve of the Easter long weekend.

Hopefully the federal parliament was paying attention because it must push for stronger reforms to tackle Australia’s crippling gambling problems.

Read more: ‘Small and underwhelming’: Albanese’s gambling reforms won’t do much to reduce harm

Partial bans don’t work

Almost three years ago, a federal parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm reached a rare multi-partisan consensus on all 31 recommendations – with the headline recommendation being a total ban on gambling advertising.

The Murphy inquiry report You win some, you lose more – led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy – made a very clear case for a total ban, explaining why partial bans don’t work.

Yet the government has responded years later with a proposed partial ban.

Thankfully, this new plan is not a done deal.

There is an opportunity for another multi-partisan consensus to negotiate a full ban on gambling advertising, and a broader suite of reforms to tackle gambling harm in our communities.

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