Gambling

Public inquiry

The Productivity Commission's final report on Gambling has been completed and sent to the Australian Government for its consideration.

The release of the final report by the Government is the next step in the process. Under the Productivity Commission Act 1998, the Government is required to table the report in each House of the Parliament within 25 sitting days of receipt.

When the Government releases the report, a copy will be sent to all registered participants including those who made submissions, appeared at the public hearing, or were visited by the Commission. At that time, the report will also be available for download from the inquiry website.

The Commission thanks all those who have contributed to the inquiry.

Following a decision by the Council of Australian Governments, the Australian Government asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a public inquiry into gambling.

The inquiry provides an update on developments since the Commission's 1999 report, and can consider a wide range of issues, including:

• the nature and definition of gambling and the range of activities incorporated within this definition
• the participation profile of gambling, including problem gamblers and those at risk of problem gambling
• the economic impacts of the gambling industries, including industry size, growth, employment, organisation and interrelationships with other industries, such as tourism, leisure, other entertainment and retailing
• the social impacts of the gambling industries, the incidence of gambling abuse and the cost and nature of welfare support services necessary to address it
• the contribution of gambling revenue on community development activity and employment
• the effects of the regulatory structures - including licensing arrangements, entry and advertising restrictions, application of the mutuality principle and differing taxation arrangements - governing the gambling industries, including the implications of differing approaches for industry development and consumers
• the implications of new technologies (such as the Internet), including the effect on traditional government controls on the gambling industries
• the impact of gambling on Commonwealth, State and Territory budgets
• the impact that the introduction of harm minimisation measures at gambling venues has had on the prevalence of problem gambling and on those at risk
  
• evaluate the effectiveness and success of these harm minimisation measures used by the State and Territory Governments.

Further information

• Assistant Treasurer's media release (external link)
• About the public inquiry process