The Alliance for Gambling Reform supports the Victorian Coroner’s recommendations and calls for urgency on action with inducements
The Alliance for Gambling Reform backs Victorian Coroner Paul Lawrie’s recommendations after the inquest into Kyle Hudson’s death and urges urgent government action on betting inducements.Summary
The Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) endorsed all recommendations made by Victorian Coroner Paul Lawrie following the inquest into the death of 22-year-old Kyle Hudson. The Coroner found that online gambling was the main and direct cause of Hudson’s death; he had opened a Sportsbet account on his 18th birthday and wagered $895,733 over four years. AGR Chief Advocate Tim Costello urged the Australian Government to act, saying the Coroner has provided a roadmap with a young man’s name on it. The Coroner recommended special protections for young people with online betting accounts, including prohibitions on bonus offers and inducements (Recommendation 6), a national online gambling regulator (Recommendation 5), and a ban on all gambling advertising (Recommendation 9). The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026 will restrict direct marketing of inducements to ‘at risk’ customers from 1 January 2027, but the details and timeline will be set by Communications Minister Anika Wells through a separate legislative instrument. AGR CEO Sunita Bose called on the Minister to examine Hudson’s case closely, stressing that the definition of ‘at risk’ must be informed by independent evidence rather than left to betting companies. Bose also criticized Sportsbet’s submissions that there was no indication Hudson was a problem gambler, and questioned how the industry identifies at-risk customers when a young man can wager almost $900,000 across several companies. AGR reiterated its mission to reduce gambling harm without seeking to ban gambling.
(Source：News Hub - Medianet News Hub Archive)