The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hear from the Alliance for Gambling Reform and people with lived experience of gambling harm at a public hearing on Monday, 5 December 2022. The hearing will be held via videoconference as part of the Committee's inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm.
Chair of the Committee, Ms Peta Murphy MP, said 'the hearing will be an opportunity for the Committee to question the Alliance about the significant reforms it has recommended to reduce gambling harm, including banning the broadcast of gambling advertisements and introducing national gambling regulation and a national regulator.'
In its submission to the inquiry, the Alliance for Gambling Reform said, 'for too long governments and community leaders have been happy to turn a blind eye to gambling harm, buying the gambling industry line that gambling only impacts a small minority of people who should be more responsible for their own actions.'
Ms Murphy said, 'the Committee will also hear personal stories from the Voices for Gambling Reform network that demonstrate the significant harms online gambling is causing in the Australian community under the current regulatory framework.'
'Understanding the stories of people with lived experience of gambling harm is crucial to ensuring the Committee's recommendations are effective,' Ms Murphy said.
The Committee will conduct further public hearings in early 2023. Submissions to the inquiry closed on 11 November 2022, however late submissions will still be considered.
Public hearing details
Date: Monday, 5 December 2022
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm AEDT
Location: Remote via audio broadcast at aph.gov.au/live
Witnesses: Alliance for Gambling Reform; Voices for Gambling Reform.
Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions, hearing dates and transcripts, are available on the inquiry webpage.
