Tom Waterhouse would be banned from continuing to spruik live odds during sports games under restrictions proposed by the federal government. Credit:Channel Nine Under Labor’s demands – which come several weeks after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott flagged a Coalition government would take action against televised betting – all promotion of betting odds on broadcast media would be banned during games. Under the new rules, gambling advertisements would be prohibited during commercial breaks while matches are being played, however they would be allowed during breaks in play such as quarter-time or half-time, and before or after a game, the Prime Minister’s office confirmed. The new rules also allow crosses to gambling representatives. A spokesperson for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy told Fairfax Media that the gambling representatives could not spruik odds for games (either the one being broadcast or others) during breaks in play but they were allowed to promote ''generic material''. Ms Gillard asked broadcasters to submit a revised code to the industry regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Clamping down on TV bookies: Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But some, including the Greens and independent Senator for South Australia, Nick Xenophon, say the government's proposed restrictions do not go far enough. Senator Xenophon on Sunday questioned why the government wouldn't go further to address the issue ''rather than stopping a third of the way''. Ms Gillard responded to this criticism at the press conference, stating that the government had considered a total ban on all gambling advertising during broadcasts, but felt the proposed changes went far enough. "The proposal we're announcing today, we believe, gets the balance right in terms of protecting the community from gaming and the influence of gaming, and making sure there is an appropriate revenue stream for broadcast rights for our sporting codes," Ms Gillard said.

Younger Australians in particular should continue to talk about which is the best football team … not which team is at the shortest odds to win a game "Obviously people want to watch sport on TV, that's got to stack up as an economic model for broadcasters..." She said that gambling ads broadcast during half-time breaks would not be allowed to feature live odds, and that people could - as many already do - simply not watch during these breaks if they wanted to avoid any gambling advertising. The Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, also present at the press conference, said that broadcasters would not be permitted to put "wall-to-wall gambling ads" during these breaks, and that the government would intervene if they did so. The new code would apply to gambling on all television sports broadcasts, including televised cricket, with the exception of horse racing.

In a statement released almost immediately after the PM's press conference the country's broadcasters announced that they had accepted her demands. ''These are unprecedented restrictions for broadcasters but we accept the government has acted in response to community concern,'' Free TV CEO Julie Flynn said.



''We recognise that these are difficult issues and we will submit a revised code within the next two weeks in line with the Prime Minister's announcement.'' Senator Richard Di Natale, Greens spokesperson on gambling and sport, said Labor's proposed changes "would do nothing to stop the discussion of odds during sports shows like The Footy Show and it would do nothing to end the bizarre loophole that allows gambling ads to be shown during kids’ viewing times. “I have a bill before the parliament that would do three things: ban all gambling ads before 9pm; ban all odds during sport and sports related programs, like The Footy Show; and prevent gambling ads from being integrated into broadcasts," Senator Di Natale said. "The combination of these reforms would have done much more to protect our kids from the normalisation of gambling and protect the purity of Australian sport.”

Mr Abbott said the government had embraced Coalition policy, and were ''playing catch up politics" with today's announcement. In a rule seemingly tailored for Mr Waterhouse, Ms Gillard said representatives of gambling companies must not appear with a sports commentary team at any time. “The public have had enough of odds and betting promotions being shoved down their throats while listening to and watching sport,” Ms Gillard said in a statement. “Younger Australians in particular should continue to talk about which is the best football team … not which team is at the shortest odds to win a game.” A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the government would ''monitor the intensity of generic gambling advertisements within the allowed periods.

“If it is found to go beyond reasonable levels, the government will impose a total advertising ban.'' Loading Trade Minister Craig Emerson told ABC television on Sunday morning he did not watch a lot of AFL, but “I see Tom Waterhouse and I see spruikers and I think it is a bad development. “It is fundamentally destroying Australian viewing on television of sport and the PM is acting,” Mr Emerson said.