At least 19 parliamentarians have accepted hospitality from wagering companies to attend major events including the Melbourne Cup, Australian Open, AFL matches and cricket games.At least 19 parliamentarians have accepted hospitality from wagering companies to attend major events including the Melbourne Cup, Australian Open, AFL matches and cricket games.
The group has launched a new online tool called Influence Engine, which lets users quickly search for terms listed in the federal register of interests. The NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, the trade and tourism minister, Don Farrell, and the Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie each disclosed tickets to the 2023 Melbourne Cup from Tabcorp.
The shadow sports minister, Anne Ruston, declared Australian Open tickets from Sportsbet in 2022 and 2023. The Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie declared a ticket and hospitality from Sportsbet for an AFL game in September 2023. McKenzie, who has spoken of concerns about gambling addiction and ads, said the wagering company was “fully aware of my opinion on sports betting advertising, both before, during, and after the hospitality”.