澳大利亚参议院近期召开为期两天的听证会，审议在线赌博法律改革，会上曝光了博彩公司使用诱导措施的严重问题。[1]前国家橄榄球联赛（NRL）球员Luke Bateman作证称，赌博公司曾向他提供可卡因、免费酒精和食物等诱导手段促进赌博。[1]根据他的证词，"有些时候我会被包机送到州际地区参加赛事，被带到设有帐篷的VIP区域，全天提供酒精和食物……VIP经理会问'嘿伙计，你想要什么毒品？'"[1]
赌博改革倡导者Tim Costello也在听证会上作证，指TAB和SportsBet曾向一名高额赌客提供住宿、陪伴和毒品，该赌客的月度交易额超过2000万美元。[1]2025年欧洲研究表明，诱导措施能将下注金额增加超过10%，问题赌博者受到的影响尤为显著。[1]澳大利亚国立大学赌博研究中心的数据显示，2025年近20%的澳大利亚成年人处于高风险赌博状态，另有6%的人受到他人赌博行为的影响。[1]
政府提议的改革方案存在明显缺陷。[1]改革未采纳Murphy调查提出的第16号建议，该建议呼吁禁止所有赌博诱导措施。[1]此外，Entain公司因违反Betstop自我排除登记约500次，目前尚未受到处罚。[1]澳大利亚通信和媒体管理局的报告指出，违反相关规则可能导致重大伤害。[1]
Australia's Senate held a two-day inquiry into online gambling law reforms, during which testimony revealed the extent to which betting operators use inducements to encourage wagering among vulnerable players. [1] Former NRL player Luke Bateman told the inquiry that gambling companies had offered him cocaine, free alcohol, and food as part of their customer retention strategy. [1] In his account, Bateman described being flown interstate to race days and placed in marquees with alcohol and food provided throughout the day, with a VIP manager asking, "What drugs do you want?" [1]
The scope of these inducement practices extends beyond individual cases. Gambling reform advocate Tim Costello testified that TAB and SportsBet had provided accommodation, companionship, and drugs to a high-value customer whose monthly turnover exceeded 20 million Australian dollars. [1] Research from 2025 demonstrates that inducements increase betting amounts by more than 10 percent, with problem gamblers being disproportionately affected. [1] According to the Australian National University's gambling research center, approximately 20 percent of Australian adults were engaging in high-risk gambling as of 2025, while an additional 6 percent were affected by others' gambling. [1]
The government's proposed reforms have drawn criticism for failing to adopt key recommendations from the Murphy inquiry, specifically Recommendation 16, which called for a comprehensive ban on all betting inducements. [1] Compliance failures by operators have gone largely unpunished: Entain violated the Betstop self-exclusion register approximately 500 times without facing penalties. [1] The Australian Communications and Media Authority has warned that violations of gambling regulations can cause significant harm to consumers. [1]
