Media Release: Legislative Council Passes Call for Gambling Ad Free State Venues
Image courtesy: Victorian State Government: https://lovethegame.vic.gov.au/
Legislative Council Passes Call for Gambling Ad Free State Venues
Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb said today Tasmania is positioned to be a national leader following the Legislative Council voting to pass her motion to ban gambling advertising and sponsorship throughout all state owned and funded venues.
“The Upper House voting to support a ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship across all state owned and funded venues, is a first for the state and for the nation,” Ms Webb said.
“The Rockliff Government now has twelve months by which to ensure that our state sport and recreational venues are gambling ad-freezones.
“This opens up the possibility that young and old Tasmanian sports fans can enjoy watching their favourite teams without being bombarded by gambling advertising at the ground, betting logos on team uniforms or commentators spruiking the odds over the loud speaker.
“There is growing concern over the normalizing of gambling with sport, and particularly the impact upon children and young people who are sent the message that betting is a normal part of being a sports fan.
Ms Webb said research shows the community is fed-up with intrusive and predatory gambling advertising in sport and consider betting promotion on team uniforms inappropriate.
“It is past time Government took decisive action to ban betting ads from our sport fields, change rooms, and uniforms, just as we did to stub out tobacco product advertising and promotion.
“Although the State cannot control online or broadcast gambling advertising, it can and should set the standard at Tasmanian-owned venues.
“Complying with the Legislative Council vote provides the Rockliff government the opportunity to demonstrate national leadership, and set an example on tackling the harmful impacts of gambling advertising in sport.”
Ms Webb’s motion was debated and passed by the Legislative Council late December 2.
Text of the motion as passed (on Tuesday 2 December):
That the Council —
- Notes that gambling harm in Tasmania remains significant, with annual poker machine losses alone exceeding $190 million, and growing evidence linking exposure to gambling advertising with risky gambling behaviour and the grooming of children into gambling;
- Further notes the findings and recommendations of the Commonwealth House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs in its 2023 report You Win Some, You Lose More – Inquiry into Online Gambling and Its Impacts on Those Experiencing Gambling Harm, particularly Recommendation 26, which calls for the Australian Government, with the cooperation of the states and territories, to implement a comprehensive ban on all forms of gambling advertising, including a “prohibition on all in-stadia advertising and logos on players’ uniforms.”;
- Recognises that governments have a clear public health responsibility to avoid promoting activities known to cause harm — just as occurred when tobacco advertising and sponsorship were banned to protect community wellbeing;
- Affirms that publicly owned venues should model this standard by prohibiting gambling advertising and sponsorship that normalise or glamorise wagering;
- Calls on the Government to:
- introduce, within one year of this resolution, a complete ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship at all state-owned or state-funded venues, including the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium, and on players’ uniforms; and
- table a progress report within six months of this resolution on the implementation of the removal of gambling advertising from existing venues.
