Australian gambling reform faces legal and political pushback

Legal advice commissioned by a Sydney charity says a 2025 ministerial directive by New South Wales Gaming and Racing Minister David Harris, which ordered the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority not to prioritise harm minimisation in poker‑machine licensing, likely exceeds the powers granted by the Gaming Machines Act and could be invalid. The advice was provided to the NSW government as it prepares a reform package aimed at curbing $10 billion in annual poker‑machine losses, with proposals that include facial‑recognition technology and voluntary industry measures but stop short of mandatory cashless gaming.

At the federal level, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s gambling‑advertising reform bill, which would cap television ads, ban stadium and jersey promotions, restrict sports‑star endorsements and tighten online advertising, is being challenged by the Coalition and the Greens. Both parties have pledged to send the legislation to a parliamentary inquiry, arguing it does not go far enough to protect families and falls short of the 2023 Murphy report’s recommendations for a national regulator and a total ad blackout.