Senate powerbroker dangles carrot to entice Aussie networks away from gambling ads

Australia’s habitual gambling scold Nick Xenophon is stepping up his efforts to curb gambling advertising on television.

Several weeks ago, the Alliance for Gambling Reform proposed to give commercial television broadcasters a discount on their license fees—a dollar for every dollar that they did not take from a sports betting company. The plan potentially gives a broadcaster over $100 million in license fee discounts annually.

Now, Xenophon is reportedly seeking to hold talks with the Turnbull government and at least three major broadcasters to propose the said offset, according to The Australian. The Senate powerbroker wants to meet with Communications Minister Mitch Fifield as well as Seven, Nine, and Ten networks “in the first sitting week of parliament on August 30.”

“I don’t think the networks should be out of pocket,” Xenophon told the news outlet. “They shouldn’t be bearing the brunt of this when it’s the government that has allowed it to proliferate.”