Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other senior politicians accepted A$245,000 ($147,000) worth of free sports tickets over 21 months while considering a ban on gambling advertising, according to Reuters.
Government records reveal 312 tickets were gifted to lawmakers between June 2023, when a parliamentary inquiry recommended a “comprehensive ban” on gambling ads, and March 2025, when parliament dissolved ahead of May’s election.
Prime Minister Albanese alone received A$29,000 in tickets, predominantly for National Rugby League (NRL) matches involving his favourite team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Meanwhile, opposition leader Peter Dutton accepted A$21,350 worth.
Despite 75% of Australians supporting an ad ban, Albanese shelved legislation last year, deferring it to the next parliament. Independent Senator David Pocock condemned the delay.
We know vested interests have been lobbying hard to prevent a ban and the level of soft diplomacy revealed by this analysis of declared gifts to politicians is deeply concerning. It is appalling that 18 months after the landmark report into online gambling harm, and after a full term of a Labour government, the prime minister has failed to take any meaningful action to ban gambling advertising.
The lobbying push reflects the deep financial ties between Australian sports and gambling. The NRL earns A$70 million annually from betting operators. Betting−linked advertising also contributes one−third of the league’s A$400 million broadcast income.
The Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS), representing the NRL and Australian Football League (AFL), orchestrated the campaign, strategically seating politicians near league officials during games to discuss the ban’s “impact.” Public health expert Charles Livingstone likened the tactic to “buying access to decision-makers for the length of a match.”
While accepting such gifts is legal if declared, critics argue the scale of hospitality exposes a loophole in political integrity rules. With the issue now deferred past the election, the question remains whether Albanese’s government will prioritise public health over sports leagues’ profits.
