Key points:
- Alcohol and gambling industries donated AU$2.5m to political parties in 2023-24
- The majority of donations went to Labor (61%) and Liberal National (38%) parties
- Advocacy groups have called for a ban on political donations from these industries
Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) data reveals that alcohol and gambling companies donated AU$2.5m (US$1.6m) to political parties in 2023-24.
The donations break down to AU$998,000 from alcohol-only companies, AU$661,000 from gambling-only companies and AU$815,000 from businesses operating in both sectors.
The majority of donations went to major political parties, with 61% directed to the Australian Labor Party and 38% to the Liberal National Party.
Good to know: Top donors included the Australian Hotels Association, Queensland Hotels Association, Endeavour Group, Tabcorp Holdings, Clubs NSW/Australia and Sportsbet
Advocacy groups the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) have called for an end to such political donations.
Commenting on the issue, FARE CEO Caterina Giorgi stated: “When companies provide donations to political parties, they do so to try and influence decision-making. We need to see common-sense reforms that put the community first and strengthen our democracy."
AGR CEO Martin Thomas added: “In the last few months alone we have seen the influence and overreach from gambling lobby groups, which have stalled progress on legislating a gambling ad ban that our communities are loudly calling for.
“The evidence shows these donations spike at times when reforms are being considered. It is a blatant attempt to undermine reform and in doing so it is an attack on our democratic process.
“With political willpower, it is absolutely possible for gambling and alcohol companies to be excluded from donating – we saw it with tobacco, now let’s see it for these other industries.”
The debate over political donations comes amid broader regulatory discussions, particularly in New South Wales, where the Government recently announced a ban on gambling ads on public transport.
