About the Guest:

Tim Costello is an Australian advocate known for campaigning against gambling harm. A former CEO of World Vision Australia and regular contributor to the Centre for Public Christianity, he now leads the Alliance for Gambling Reform, a leading national advocacy group working to reduce gambling-related harm. Costello has long been an outspoken critic of gambling practices and policy, advocating comprehensive reforms to better protect Australians.

Key Takeaways:

• Tim Costello criticises the Australian federal government's "timid" response to the 2023 Murphy report on gambling reforms.
• Costello highlights a lack of a national gambling regulator as a significant flaw in current governmental policies.
• The federal government’s response includes partial restrictions on gambling advertisements.
• The Alliance for Gambling Reform calls for unified public action to pressure governments for comprehensive reforms.
• Costello urges stronger policies to protect children from the pervasive influences of gambling advertisements in sporting events and media.

Notable Quotes:

• "It was a timid response and dropping it while the budget was on was of course a smokescreen…" - Tim Costello
• "It's unbelievable that in the nation with the greatest gambling losses per head… we have no national gambling regulator." - Tim Costello
• "This is not protecting kids. Imagine if 80% of kids knew Marlborough cigarettes…" - Tim Costello
• "The only job for parents is to protect kids." - Tim Costello

Resources:

• Gambling Harm | Alliance For Gambling Reform - Alliance for Gambling Reform
• Australians share the moment they realised gambling had changed their lives forever - ABC News
• Calls grow for total ban on gambling ads as Australia’s annual losses surge to $32bn | Gambling | T…
• Government accused of 'burying' response to landmark gambling report with budget day release - ABC …
• Australian Government response to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy …
• Report released You win some you lose more – Parliament of Australia