A great first step. I'd love to see a sin tax associated with this as well - ie, for adverts that do run, they should have to pay a % of the ad fee to the government.

I don't think people understand just how ingrained in the culture gambling is in Australia. One of the primary 3rd spaces for people in Australia are RSLs, which are technically clubs for veterans to get co-op like services, but have evolved into a 3rd space for everyone that offer food, alcohol, entertainment, and of course, sports gambling and "pokies" (poker/slot machines).

That's one of the myths the gambling dens propagate: that they are there for the veterans. There is no technicality about it.

https://www.rslaustralia.org/rsl-sub-branches-and-rsl-clubs-...

The "RSL sub-branch" is a not-for-profit welfare organisation, that looks after veterans. For the most part they are small and if they are lucky they get the use of a meeting room in the RSL club.

The "RSL Club" is a multimillion dollar commercial enterprise that looks after its own interests, conducts political lobbying, makes millions of dollars off gambling addicts and hands out token grants in the community to give the impression that they are there to benefit the community. Typically nothing to do with the RSL sub-branch.

As a West Australian this is so interesting to me, because gambling culture is extremely niche here - but WA law is that pokies are only allowed at the casino, nowhere else. And thank fuck for that.