Gov's gambling reforms a ‘betrayal’ + Unpacking the 'disastrous' Swans coverage

**Sacha Barbour Gatt** (0:08)
Hi, Sacha Barbour Gatt with you. Welcome to The Briefing. Several Sydney Swans players are being investigated over an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel. No charges have been laid. But the way it's being reported has become a story all of its own.

**Lavender Baj** (0:22)
I think in 24 hours, we've caused a lot of damage to any sort of potential criminal trial because everybody in Sydney knows everything.

**Sacha Barbour Gatt** (0:30)
That deep dive, unpacking the coverage so far, where the club and the media could be doing better, and why you might want to think twice before weighing in online is coming up in the second half of this episode. First though, let's get into the headlines with Chris Spyrou on Wednesday 19 August.

**Chris Spyrou** (0:47)
Morning Sacha. The Sydney Swans are expected to announce sanctions on a number of players today over allegations of a sexual assault in Melbourne. The men, who haven't been named by the Swans, have been interviewed by the Club, with a board meeting overnight to discuss penalties.

**Sacha Barbour Gatt** (1:01)
In a statement, it said, The Club believes the players are in serious breach of expected club behaviour and standards, and it is appropriate to take firm action. It's important to note the sanctions being considered by the Swans are separate from the ongoing police investigation, with additional penalties possible depending on the outcomes of those findings.

**Chris Spyrou** (1:21)
Meantime, the AFL CEO, Andrew Dillon, has released a statement overnight, labelling the conduct and serious allegations deeply concerning, saying they raise broader issues for the game. He went on to call for the privacy and care of the woman who made the report to police. The four players allegedly involved had been out drinking on Sunday night, following a win over Essendon at the MCG.

**Sacha Barbour Gatt** (1:44)
The group reportedly returned to their hotel where police were later called to investigate a sexual assault report. None of the players have been formally accused, arrested or charged.

**Chris Spyrou** (1:55)
The government's contentious changes to the NDIS have made it through the Senate. They're built to reign in the runaway cost of the scheme, and around 300,000 people are expected to be moved off it or blocked from joining. The government reckons that will save $38 billion by the end of the decade. Labor got the coalition on side to get it over the line. It will now head back to the lower house where Labor's majority is expected to get it through.

**Sacha Barbour Gatt** (2:20)
Meantime, the government's also done a deal with the coalition on its gambling reforms. Now, we were talking about this, I think, last week, Chris. Those are tipped to pass tomorrow. By then, it'll be 1,149 days since the late Labor MP Peter Murphy delivered her landmark report into gambling harm. The inquiry, led by Murphy, called for a total ban on inducements and betting ads plus a national regulator. This bill doesn't go that far.

**Chris Spyrou** (2:48)
Yeah, instead, the government's gone with an opt-out register set up through the communications regulator where you sign up once to block online betting ads. And after talks with the Coalition, TV ads will now be capped at 3 an hour from 5 a.m. There's a full blackout during live sports starting 15 minutes before the game instead of 5
And there are now new limits on ads during kids' TV shows. As for inducements, so things like bonus bets, those have been restricted and there will also be a 14 day ban for new customers, a 90 day ban after leaving self-exclusion register bet stop and a total ban for anyone flagged as at risk.

**Sacha Barbour Gatt** (3:29)
It's worth noting as well actually that register that they're going to enact through the communications regulator that is that one stop, I don't want to get ads, also includes inducements. So that is where you can kind of exclude yourself, but it doesn't stop completely betting companies from sending inducements all together. Look, the PM is talking it up as our country's toughest gambling laws. He has thanked the opposition for its support, but we have seen two coalition MPs cross the floor over these reforms, saying they don't go far enough.

**Andrew Wallace** (3:58)
The gambling companies make 30% of their revenue on inducements. And we know that these companies are absolutely praying, particularly on young men with their bonus bets and providing them an opportunity to get stuck into this gambling rut.
I think that they're abhorrent. My view is, at the very least, they should be opt-in, and this bill does not provide that.

**Sacha Barbour Gatt** (4:24)
That was Andrew Wallace there.