Public health agencies, researchers, health services and sporting organisations should not accept gambling industry funding and today the Public Health Association of Australia calls on them to refuse such funding and instead sign a charter for gambling research integrity.

The lack of appropriate regulation of the gambling industry has seen exponential growth in gambling losses particularly in states and territories where electronic gaming machines are allowed in hotels and clubs and massive growth in the marketing and promotion of gambling products. Gambling promotion at sporting venues, through sports sponsorship, and in all forms of media where sport scores and sport information are provided, are at unprecedented levels.

For a significant number of people, gambling is a dangerous consumption. Children are being steadily socialised into a normalising of gambling activities through constant exposure to gambling products. Gambling marketing increasingly includes the marketing of venues as ‘child-friendly’ using incentives including children’s playgrounds, children’s amusement machines emulating gambling machines, and discounted or free children’s meals offered at gambling venues.

Governments have policies and programs aimed at reducing the harm caused to people experiencing the effects of problem gambling.

Yet, despite this commitment, little is being done to adopt a public health approach to manage the gambling industry’s access to current and potential consumers of gambling products and there is a need for effective population measures to prevent people from the harms of excess gambling.

Research activity has not generally been focused on harm reduction, health promotion or consumer safety issues and has been substantially funded by organisations with a vested interest in research outcomes. In many such cases, the orientation of research appears to have been affected by the funding source.

The PHAA has taken the position that it will not accept funding from the gambling industry and announced that it will strenuously advocate to ensure that public sector universities, research institutes or affiliated organisations do the same, even for research purposes.

Further, there is a conflict of interest for sporting bodies and other organisations which have received health promotion funding, to also accept gambling industry money. Governments and other bodies which provide funding for health promotion should ensure that those organisations are not also engaged in the promotion of gambling.

The PHAA policy on gambling industry funding can be found here.