Greens draw betting perk line ahead of gambling showdown

Greens' Sarah Hanson-Young draws firm line on betting perks Sun 9 Aug 2026 at 10:42am In short: The Greens have clarified their position on gambling perks, urging tougher restrictions on promotions as well as inducements. The minor party will not support the legislation in its current form, with the government maintaining it is open to "sensible amendments" ahead of the political showdown. What's next? Debate for the legislation is yet to be formally locked in, with the government awaiting amendments from the Greens and Coalition. The Greens have drawn a firm line on betting perks, clarifying they will not vote for the government's gambling legislation as it currently stands ahead of a political showdown when parliament returns this week. The draft legislation is friendless in its current form, with the Coalition, Greens and crossbenchers all calling for sweeping amendments to ensure children and vulnerable Australians are protected from gambling harm. Inducements became a stronger point of contention after a two-day Senate inquiry revealed gambling company employees had provided VIP punters with perks including illegal drugs and escorts to encourage further gambling. Betting giants denied the claims but the explosive testimonies intensified calls for tougher reforms and bans on such practices, even drawing support from several Labor backbenchers. Greens communication spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said promotions in which punters get their money back if their horse comes second rather than winning, "absolutely" need to go. "Give me a freaking break," she told ABC's Insiders this morning. "I think they use every trick in the book to promote and it's a real predatory nature, whether it's special deals, whether it's extra credits, whether it's favours to events. "Inducements need to be off the table." The position is in line with the late Peta Murphy's landmark parliamentary report on gambling reform, tabled in June 2023. The report called for the abolition of inducements, defining it as "advertising and direct messaging [including] offers such as deposit matches, multi-bets, bonus bets, rewards programs and early cash-outs". Senator Hanson-Young accused the government of "playing games", urging it to stand up for vulnerable Australians or risk the Greens' support. "I'm not prepared to vote for what's on the table at the moment," she said. NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister defended the government's reforms, arguing "we're trying to get a good balance". She said Labor had got it "broadly right" but was "open to sensible amendments" as negotiations with the Coalition and crossbench continue. Communications Minister Anika Wells has previously stated the government was waiting to see formal amendments from the Coalition and Greens before locking in debate around the legislation. 'Partial bans do not work' Labor's plan to combat harms from gambling, which costs Australians $32 billion in losses each year, includes a partial advertisement ban. It would restrict gambling ads on TV to three per hour between 6am and 8:30pm, on radio during school pick-up and drop-off, as well as ban logos on sports players' jerseys or in stadiums. The partial ad ban, going against Murphy's recommendation of a phased, total ban, has drawn widespread criticism. "It's really clear, partial bans do not work," Senator Hanson-Young said. "In the absence of not tackling online advertising where it's the most insidious … this whole thing is set up to fail. We need proper bans on online advertising." The Coalition has also spoken of tougher ad restrictions, with Shadow Communications Minister Sarah Henderson stating the opposition would not support Labor's bill without changes but has not disclosed its demands.