Aug 7, 2026 – 4.00pmThere was no shortage of headline-grabbing moments from this week’s Senate inquiry into the government’s gambling reform bill, with each dealing another blow to the industry’s already tattered social licence.Take former rugby league player Luke Bateman’s damning testimony that, as a 23-year-old, he was flown across the country by betting companies to attend race days, where VIP managers supplied him with alcohol and drugs as he gambled away tens of thousands of dollars.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Sam IrvineReporterSam Irvine is a journalist for The Australian Financial Review. Message Sam on Signal @samuelirvine00_.86Fetching latest articles
‘Policy capture’: The week that exposed Labor’s gambling ties
An explosive week of public hearings exposed the harms of the gambling industry. So why isn’t the government following its own advice on advertising bans?
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