澳大利亚联邦政府在推进赌博行业改革方面进展缓慢，尽管此举获得公众支持[1]。研究表明，这一现象的根本原因在于纵向财政失衡——各州政府严重依赖赌博税收来弥补联邦资金不足，因此对加强监管缺乏政治意愿[1]。2023年墨菲报告曾提出31项改革建议，包括限制赌博广告和建立国家在线赌博监管机构，但这些建议的推行迟缓[1]。
赌博税收在各州财政中占有重要地位。新南威尔士州2024-25年度的赌博税收达36亿澳元，占该州税收总额的约7%，预计四年内将增至47亿澳元[1]。该州拥有全国约一半的老虎机，共约9万台[1]。昆士兰州2022-23年赌博税收为19亿澳元，维多利亚州2024-25年超过24亿澳元，塔斯马尼亚州2023-24年赌博收入超过1.2亿澳元[1]。尽管财政压力存在，新南威尔士州劳工党在2024年全票通过决议，要求在未来十年显著减少老虎机数量[1]。
Australia's federal government has moved slowly on gambling industry reform despite public backing for stricter oversight, with research revealing a fundamental barrier: vertical fiscal imbalance.[1] State governments depend on gambling tax revenue to offset insufficient federal funding, leaving them politically unwilling to strengthen gambling regulation.[1]
New South Wales collected A$3.6 billion in gambling taxes in 2024–25, representing approximately 7% of state tax revenue, with projections showing this figure will rise to A$4.7 billion within four years.[1] The state operates roughly half of the nation's poker machines, numbering around 90,000 devices.[1] Queensland generated A$1.9 billion in gambling tax revenue in 2022–23, while Victoria exceeded A$2.4 billion in 2024–25, and Tasmania recorded over A$120 million in gambling revenue for 2023–24.[1]
The Murphy Report of 2023 proposed 31 recommendations aimed at addressing gambling harm, including restrictions on gambling advertising and establishment of a national online gambling regulator.[1] Despite this, the Labor Party in New South Wales unanimously passed a resolution in 2024 calling for a significant reduction in poker machine numbers over the next decade.[1]
