By Oliver Lees
Hume councillor Joseph Haweil is calling for SBS to remove gambling advertisements from its programming.
At a meeting on February 14, the former Hume mayor and his fellow councillors resolved to write to SBS chair George Savvides, asking that the “dangerous and addictive” ads be stripped for the sake of its audience.
Cr Haweil drew on data from a 2017 survey of SBS’ audience conducted by Save Our SBS.
According to the numbers, 91 per cent of the 1176 surveyed respondents wanted the gambling ads to stop permanently.
Despite being a public broadcaster, SBS can still legally air commercial advertisements, the ABC on the other hand, does not broadcast any commercial advertisements.
On February 7, the federal government announced its funding commitment to the public media outlet for the next three years.
Cr Haweil said SBS should drop its association to the gambling industry following the confirmation of this endowment.
“I think SBS as a multicultural and public broadcaster has a responsibility to work in line with community standards,” Cr Haweil said.
“I think that this council should be joining the hundreds of groups, institutions, organizations and indeed members of the Australian community in urging the SBS board to stop advertising to stop broadcasting harmful and dangerous gambling.”
Hume council is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) local government areas in the state, with residents hailing from more than 160 countries.
According to a federal government commissioned study from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, CALD people who gamble are more likely to develop complex problems.
The study found that CALD community members that take up gambling are also often less likely to seek help due to social stigma and shame.
A SBS spokesperson told Star Weekly that the broadcaster takes seriously its regulatory obligations and always adheres to the restrictions on certain types of advertising, including for alcohol and gambling.
If this story has raised issues for you or someone you know, contact the National Council on Problem Gambling.
Details: 1-800-522-4700
