No excuses on gambling reform

Media Statement

No excuses on gambling reform

The Murphy recommendations give a sensible and balanced blueprint for gambling regulation. 

They protect our children and families. They must be implemented in full - there are no excuses for not doing so. 

Anglican Churches from around Australia have been meeting in Melbourne and without dissent, we have agreed that the Murphy report should be adopted in full for "the welfare and public health of our nation’s young people and other vulnerable persons".

The full text of the resolution reads:

Federal Gambling Reform
The Very Rev’d Sandy Grant moving, The Rev Dr Raj Gupta seconding
General Synod:
1. out of love for our neighbours, again calls on the Parliament of Australia to enact comprehensive online gambling harm minimisation reforms which implement fully the recommendations of the report of the parliamentary inquiry chaired by the late member for Dunkley, Peta Murphy, entitled “You Win Some, You Lose More”; specifically:
   a) the banning of gambling inducements,
   b) the full phase in of a comprehensive gambling advertising ban,
   c) the closure of streaming and live sport advertising loopholes,
   d) introduction of harm prevention measures like deposit limits and affordability checks, and
   e) the creation of an independent national gambling regulator.
2. requests the Primate to write to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition informing them of this resolution and encourages individual members of Synod to inform their own federal MP of General Synod’s view, with whatever personal advocacy they wish to add for the welfare and public health of our nation’s young people and other vulnerable persons.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

11 August 2026