The family of a young gambling addict who died by suicide quoted their son’s final words during a private Senate inquiry session as they pleaded for a ban on betting inducements, which new polling shows has majority support among Australians.

The parents of the man, who died at 24, used an in-camera session, in their evidence asking for stronger action, to read his words about feeling “so pathologically addicted to gambling and cannot let myself [sic] stop … I can’t even get myself to stop to save my own life”.

Their testimony was published for the first time on Monday afternoon in the inquiry’s final report into the government’s legislation. Despite strong objections from the Greens and Senator David Pocock, the Labor-led Senate committee had only one recommendation: that the laws pass.

But Labor still moved on Monday to introduce some changes to its gambling package, including an “opt-out register” for online advertising and a levy on betting companies to cover costs of enforcing the new regime. It will also restrict the use of betting inducements, such as free bonus bets and VIP agents, that are used to woo gamblers.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had not planned to take action on gambling inducements, despite full prohibition being recommended by the 2023 report by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy. But Labor’s position shifted after inducements came into focus as the Senate inquiry heard alarming testimony, and the Coalition demanded stronger restrictions.

Reverend Tim Costello and former professional rugby league player Luke Bateman told the hearing about gambling companies luring addicts with drugs, escorts, free hotels, exclusive events and thousands of dollars in free bets.

The family who gave in-camera evidence also spoke of the harm of inducements in their evidence. “We live with the consequences of that … Our family now lives half a life,” they said. “[Evidence] says inducements are predatory and need to be banned urgently, and there is no ban on inducements … I don’t understand what the barrier is.”

Communications Minister Anika Wells on Monday said the government had listened carefully to the evidence presented to this month’s Senate inquiry.

“We are particularly concerned by evidence about wagering inducements and the role these practices can play in encouraging gambling and exacerbating gambling-related harm,” she said.

“The government’s reforms respond to these concerns by introducing new restrictions on inducement-based marketing and establishing the Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register.”

Wells said the register would give Australians a “one-stop shop” to opt out of seeing gambling ads on online platforms.

The details of restrictions on inducements will be finalised this week as Labor negotiates with the Coalition on gambling, NDIS reforms and the news bargaining code. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor on Monday told Labor to expedite its removal of the “widow’s tax” from its tax changes in exchange for his support.

The Coalition will take the gambling proposals to its party room on Tuesday, where some backbench MPs have been pushing for stronger action on inducements and streaming services.

Strong public support for ad crackdown

This masthead’s Resolve Political Monitor, which surveyed Australians in the past week, found majority public support for any measure that clamped down on gambling advertisements.

There was strong support for measures the government is already introducing – limits on radio ads during school pick-up hours (72 per cent support), a phased-in ad ban in stadiums and on jerseys (63 per cent) and a ban on sports stars promoting wagering (62 per cent).

One key point of debate has been whether there should be an opt-out or opt-in default for gambling ads online and on streaming services, or whether streaming services should be subject to the same three-ad-per-hour limit as television.

The Labor proposal, which has been criticised by advocates, allows streaming services to show unlimited ads so long as they verify that registered users are over 18 and are given the option to opt out.

The polling found that voters were not particularly concerned by the difference between opt-in and opt-out: 65 per cent said they supported opt-out ads for streaming platforms, while 61 per cent supported an opt-in approach.

A strong majority (70 per cent) supported limiting streaming ads to three per hour, while 60 per cent supported banning gambling ads on streaming services altogether.

There was also 59 per cent support for banning free bonus bets – another area of contention that the government resisted despite Murphy’s 2023 report, considered to be the gold standard by reform advocates, calling for a total ban on gambling inducements.

Labor’s new levy on betting companies

Wells introduced a bill on Monday that points to the looming amendment on inducements, which the industry refers to as “promotions” or “generosities”.

It says Labor’s gambling package will add a new section that prohibits “inducement-based direct marketing and social media advertising to certain customers” as well as commission-based referral arrangements.

This masthead reported on Friday that this could involve a minimum age to receive promotions, and curbing the role of VIP agents and the way they receive commissions.

But the main purpose of Wells’ bill was to introduce a levy on gambling companies. The money raised will be used to fund fresh costs the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will incur while administering and enforcing the government’s new advertising rules.

Part of ACMA’s new duties will involve establishing a new “opt-out register” for gambling ads. This will allow people to opt out of receiving wagering advertising on all online platforms – so they don’t need to do so on each individual website or subscription.

ACMA will also be responsible for enforcing new restrictions on betting inducements, which are tools that gambling companies use to encourage customers, such as free bonus bets.