"The reality is that Albanese does not want to upset the profitable nexus between sport, gambling and television. He has been convinced that without gambling revenue, television would not survive, and without television licensing deals sporting codes would not be able to support children’s football.

"It’s a sorry world if an under-7s side is dependent on gambling addicts for its existence. Somehow, this is the world in which Albanese lives. It’s very unlikely this is true, but it sounds convincing in the box at State of Origin. If it were true, of course, the government could always step in and fund children’s sport. That would require strength and decisiveness and several other attributes that on this issue elude Albanese."

#LaborValues #AusPol #Gambling
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/editorial/2026/04/04/albaneses-gamble

Albanese’s gamble

This is how Anthony Albanese works: he takes too long to make a decision and when he finally does the decision he makes is too weak. He is like an orange tree fruiting in summer, small and pale and sparsely set. Politically, this is a terrible characteristic. He weathers all the opprobrium of indecision and then, in eventually acting, reminds everyone of his inadequacy. Speed is not traded for thoughtfulness or thoughtfulness traded for urgency. He is simply slow and wrong. He is at once late, indecisive and insubstantial.

The Saturday Paper
@luciedigitalni if this were true then none of the huge variety of children's sports that have no connection to gambling would exist. It's only a minority of sports that have this connection.

@nacho_borracho @luciedigitalni Excellent point.

Not sure how my junior cycling clinic has functioned with its turn up and pay $5 to race bikes (including us providing the track bike) has worked without gambling funding.

@MrAndrewD @luciedigitalni parkrun, every Saturday morning around the world: $0 cost.
@nacho_borracho @luciedigitalni thankfully Marrickville took sponsors off their kids jerseys a couple of years ago. Some other teams though? Their kids look like Parramatta Road
@luciedigitalni personally I have sympathy for Albo, particularly with the failure of the voice referendum (and before him with scomo and the bushfires&covid). I think he has learnt the lesson (not unjustified) that his principle job is to keep Australians safe - undisturbed from change.
I wonder it says more about us.
@markopolo141 ok, but what he's doing here is the opposite of keeping people safe. Gambling harm is widespread and insidious and a major contributor to family and domestic violence. Also, I have slightly higher expectations of government than leaning in to a Howard-era 'relaxed and comfortable' trope. There is overwhelming public support for a ban on gambling advertising and an easy majority in the parliament, just as there is for a tax on gas exports. Albanese is prioritising vested interests in both cases. I do not have any sympathy for him at all. I believe he continues to display weakness and indecisiveness that make him unfit to lead.

@luciedigitalni sure, no doubt that money tugs politics generally.
But I think it is telling, that Albo sees rising prices at the bowser as deserving of national address.
Providing sense of security and order is one of the most primal reasons for government, including preserving systems that are predatory and culturally embedded

Don't get me wrong, I am not a Labor supporter.
I wonder we are like a blind dragon. Lot of power, difficult to read and resent needing politicians to lead us anywhere

@markopolo141 @luciedigitalni Governments like to "Nanny-state" us (alcohol laws, drug laws, gay marriage laws, drink driving & phone use laws, social media laws, anti-protrst laws, laws against saying particular phrases).

The difference with the gambling ad ban law is there is a rich lobbyist whispering into the ear of every PM there is (or will be) telling them this law is baaaaaad. Same goes for much needed climate/environment laws.

#auspol

@luciedigitalni The same, pretty much, argument was used to try and justify cigarettes and other tobacco advertising.