ROD Glover, the husband of the late Member for Dunkley Peta Murphy, has described the federal government’s gambling legislation as falling well short of the recommendations stemming from the anti-gambling inquiry she chaired.
In a post on his LinkedIn page, Glover said “Today’s gambling legislation feels like progress. But it comes with mixed emotions”.
“It is a breakthrough of sorts. It will reduce harm, particularly for young people and those most vulnerable to the increasingly sophisticated ways gambling is marketed and promoted.
“The package is far from everything that is needed, and it has taken too long to get here. That delay has had real human consequences. But acknowledging that failure shouldn’t stop us recognising what has now been achieved — or understanding how it became possible.”
The legislation was a long time coming after Murphy released her final report, You win some, you lose more, in June 2023.
The report made 31 recommendations on gambling reform. Proposed changes included a ban on online gambling advertising, stronger consumer protections for licensed online gambling, a crackdown on illegal gambling websites, and a legislated duty of care.
Murphy died roughly six months after the report was released.
After years of delays, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the federal government’s plans for gambling reform this April. His proposed legislation fell short of acting on all of the inquiry’s recommendations and drew criticism from anti-gambling advocates (Gambling reforms unveiled, The Times 7/4/2026).
Current Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea, who was elected to succeed Murphy in 2024, said that the legislative changes are “the most significant federal gambling reforms of any Australian government.”
The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 passed parliament on 19 August, and included reforms:
- restricting wagering advertising, including a ban during live sports and in sports venues
- banning the direct marketing of inducements to at-risk customers
- boosting enforcement action against illegal gambling services
- strengthening the operation of BetStop—the National Self-Exclusion Register
- addressing harmful and emerging online lottery products.
The final Bill passed with bipartisan support and will commence on 1 January 2027.
On the Bill’s passing, Glover wrote “The Prime Minister showed some flexibility and the Minister persisted in finding a way forward. The Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister were willing to compromise to secure that outcome. Many others across Labor and the Coalition (you know who you are) pushed for much stronger action and had some success”.
“And without the sustained pressure from the Greens and independents, advocates, researchers, people with lived experience and public opinion, none of that would have been possible.
“This matters beyond gambling reform. At a time of declining trust in politics, one way to rebuild it is not to promise that disagreement will disappear, but to demonstrate that our politics can still move forward — imperfectly, unevenly, but meaningfully.”
Glover finished his post with “Amid all the politics, I want to acknowledge the courageous people who appeared before the Murphy Committee to share painful stories of gambling harm, in the hope that doing so might make things better for others”.
“You are the people Peta would be thinking about today. If she could, she would send you her thanks and her love.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 25 August 2026
