Country is far behind peers in controlling online punters, report shows
Australia’s lag on gambling regulation, fire ant alarm, Brexit ‘historic error’ | The Guardian
02/06/2023
Australia’s lag on gambling regulation, fire ant alarm, Brexit ‘historic error’
Martin Farrer
Morning, everyone. There is more evidence today – if any were needed – that Australia is lagging behind other developed countries in its regulation of online gambling, such as through advertising bans. A new study flags the problem just as a parliamentary inquiry examines the harm caused. We’re also looking at a study sounding the alarm on the potential danger of invasive fire ants eating their way through crops on the east coast. And we’re also delving into the Ben Roberts-Smith case, including comment arguing that it’s time to abandon the “farcical” Anzac myth.
Australia
‘Almost meaningless’ | Labor has been criticised for proposing to ditch a commitment to strengthening legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community, with queer advocates saying the party appeared to have “backtracked”.
Exclusive | Reform in Australia to target online gambling, advertising and products aimed at children had been piecemeal and slow, anti-gambling advocates have warned, as a new report shows the country lagging behind Europe. It shows, for example, that in Germany online casinos, poker and virtual slot operators can’t advertise between 6am and 9am, and activists are calling on the Albanese government to push measures through more quickly.
Roberts-Smith findings | The reverberations of the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case have begun with the Australian War Memorial facing calls today to remove his uniform from its display in Canberra, while the SAS veterans’ association said the verdict was “very disappointing day”.
‘Cascading impacts’ | Fire ants, an invasive species that causes extensive damage to crops and electrical infrastructure, could reach the outskirts of Sydney by 2035 and inflict “cascading negative impacts on future generations”, a report warns. The ants, first detected in Brisbane in 2001, could cost the economy more than $1bn a year unless they are eradicated.
Room to live | Land has been earmarked for 10,000 homes across 22 sites in the northern rivers region of NSW – including in Byron, Ballina and Tweed shires – as part of a government plan to deal with the housing crisis.
‘Historic error’ | Brexit will be remembered as a “historic economic error” that damaged the UK economy and has helped to drive inflation higher, according to the former US treasury secretary Larry Summers.
Nova Scotia fires | Officials in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia say a day of blistering heat, strong winds and low humidity could lead to “extreme fire behaviour” as they work to control wildfires that have forced more than 20,000 people from their homes.
Rescue at 8,000m | A Malaysian climber narrowly survived after a Nepali sherpa guide hauled him down from below the summit of Mount Everest in a rare high-altitude rescue in the mountain’s “death zone”.
‘Speak up!’ | Bruce Willis’s daughter Tallulah thought her father’s unresponsiveness was due to a lack of interest in her life – and his famous films. “Die Hard messed with Dad’s ears,” she says.
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The hulking figure of Ben Roberts-Smith was to be seen on almost every day of his year-long defamation case against three newspapers but he was strangely absent yesterday as his fate was handed down. Our reporter Ben Doherty, who heard much of the evidence first hand and was also present yesterday, reflects on the “man who wasn’t there” when it came to judgment day. The rejection of the former soldier’s case is bad news for his backer, Kerry Stokes, who could be liable for millions of of dollars in costs, but it’s also potentially a bittersweet day for Nine as it surveys the likelihood of hefty costs as well. As for our columnist Paul Daley, he argues that the case is a signal that Australia must abandon its “farcical” Anzac myth.
Not the news
Deadloch, a whodunnit set in a small Tasmanian town and devised by the Australian comedy duo Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney, is a “ripsnorting” success, writes Luke Buckmaster. And although the central character, an idiot female detective called Eddie, “is a little too much”, she is balanced by more subtle writing and the fact that four cops are played by queer actors.
The world of sport
Rugby league | Another day, another Origin victory for Queensland as the Maroons triumphed 18-10 over the Blues in the women’s series opener in Sydney.
A-League | There’s been an underwhelming buildup to the men’s A-League final this weekend, argues Joey Lynch, which fails to justify the controversial NSW deal.
Rugby union | Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and his inner-circle are planning a “smash and grab” strategy for the World Cup campaign that kicks off in France in 100 days.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times give blanket coverage, not surprisingly, to their victory in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case. The Age says it’s just the beginning of the path to justice for alleged victims of Australian war crimes, while the reporter Nick McKenzie recalls the tipoff that sparked the story. The Adelaide Advertiser reports that east-coast lobster will soon be on the menu in South Australia thanks to a change in ocean currents moving larvae to the state’s coast.
What’s happening today
Welfare | Bill Shorten, the minister for government services, will speak at the NDIS annual conference in Sydney.
Canberra | The inquiry intoACT policing continues.
Sydney | TheNSW gay hate inquiry resumes.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
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