An investigation conducted in Australia has uncovered the shocking fact that over 25% of the country’s politicians have interests in the gambling industry. This revelation was based on publicly available declarations made by Australia’s 227 MPs and Senators over the past five years. Since the general election in May 2019, politicians have accepted at least 299 gifts from the gambling industry, including tickets to sporting events and shows.
The transparency project Open Politics further broke down the data, revealing that 48 current federal politicians have declared receiving gifts from the gambling industry since 2019. Additionally, 12 politicians have disclosed that they or their families own or have owned shares in gambling companies. When combining the gift receivers and shareholders, it becomes apparent that over 25% of the Australian Parliament has some form of interest in gambling.
According to investigative news source Crikey, gambling companies have provided politicians and their families with tickets and hospitality to various events such as Rugby Union internationals, the Melbourne Cup, Australian Football League and National Rugby League grand finals, as well as high-priced musicals like Hamilton and Billy Elliott. Nearly one in three current Coalition MPs and one in five Labor MPs have accepted such gifts, although this number could be higher as gifts below $300 do not require disclosure.
One notable recipient of gifts is MP Dan Tehan, who has accepted 31 sports tickets from Tabcorp and Richmond Football Club, as well as a $70 bottle of Shiraz from Endeavor Group. Another high-profile figure is Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, who has accepted 27 tickets and hospitality from Tabcorp and The Star, including family tickets to Hamilton. Despite heading the government department responsible for regulating iGaming and gambling advertising, Rowland has not declared any gifts from the gambling industry since November 2022.
Open Politics, founded by ex-ministerial adviser Sean Johnson, aims to increase public scrutiny of politicians’ private interests. The organization maintains a database of all Australian parliamentarians’ interests, including updates to reflect any changes in declarations. In addition to gift receivers, 12 politicians have declared ownership or past ownership of shares in gambling companies. One such politician, independent MP Sophie Scamps, later removed her shares from the Open Politics register.
It is clear from these revelations that a significant portion of Australia’s political representatives have ties to the gambling industry, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the influence of these relationships on policymaking. The need for transparency and accountability in political dealings with the gambling sector is paramount to ensure the integrity of the democratic process and the protection of public interests.