Betting ads played before, after kids' song shock dad

Labor is being urged to act against gambling ads after a Sportsbet promotion was reportedly broadcast during children's songs on the music streaming service Spotify. A father accused Spotify of playing Sportsbet ads before and after Disney songs while his kids were listening on his account, which he said was inappropriate. In a complaint seen by AAP, the man asked to opt out of gambling ads. Sportsbet said it had paused ads on Spotify while the claim was being investigated. "Sportsbet's advertising on Spotify and all social media channels uses age gating measures, and excludes kids and family content as an additional control," it said in a statement. Spotify did not provide comment but maintained all ads comply with local regulations. Campaigns are only geo-targeted to jurisdictions where gambling promotions are allowed and betting ads were required to target people older than 18. It also has an ads-free kids' app and an 18-year-old age limit but teens aged 13 or older can use the service with parental or guardian consent. "We have designed Spotify to be appropriate for listeners 13+ years of age," its website states. Crossbench senators have chastised the federal government for not moving to implement the cornerstone recommendation of a landmark inquiry into gambling harm and ban ads. "It should be the law that advertising for gambling is illegal," Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday. "It should be the law that children are protected. "A pause is good but a ban is better and we need a full total ban on advertising, just like we've done with tobacco and cigarettes." Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has defended not moving on the ban. She said the matter was complex and consultations were ongoing to ensure there were no unintended consequences. Pushed on why there was no response some 18 months since the review while a social media ban on children younger than 16 passed parliament within weeks, Ms Rowland said she continued to work to prevent kids from harm. "They are both urgent because we're talking about harm to vulnerable cohorts, and that's why we continue to work through both issues," she told reporters in Sydney. The Greens and crossbenchers such as independent senator David Pocock have been pushing the government to use their numbers in the Senate to ban gambling ads. Senator Pocock accused the government of putting action in the too-hard basket and taking advice from horse racing and rugby league chief Peter V'landys ahead of the recommendations of late Labor MP Peta Murphy. "It's not about banning gambling, it's about banning gambling advertising so we're not hearing it between Frozen and Bluey on Spotify," he told ABC Radio. "That is simply unacceptable." The Greens will again push for a Senate vote on the issue by bringing on a private senator's bill in February when parliament reconvenes for the first time in 2025. National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858 Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636