Home Alcohol and gambling companies gave $2.5M in donations to major Australian political parties

Alcohol and gambling companies gave $2.5M in donations to major Australian political parties

New data from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has revealed that alcohol and gambling companies, along with lobby groups, poured AUD $2.5 million ($1.6 million USD) into donations for the country’s major political parties during the 2023-24 financial year.

According to the study, companies that profit solely from alcohol donated $998,000, while those making money only from gambling contributed $661,000. Businesses with a stake in both alcohol and gambling gave $815,000.

When it comes to where the money went, 61% of these donations flowed to the Australian Labor Party (ALP), while 38% went to the Liberal National Party (LNP).

The top five donors were said to be the Australian Hotels Association and Queensland Hotels Association, Endeavour Group, Tabcorp Holdings, Clubs NSW/Australia and Sportsbet.

Campaign groups call for ban on donations from gambling companies and lobbies

Following the release of the latest donation figures via the AEC Transparency Register, advocacy groups Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) have renewed their push to ban political donations from alcohol and gambling companies altogether.

FARE’s CEO Caterina Giorgi stated: “When companies provide donations to political parties, they do so to try and influence decision-making.

“Time and time again alcohol companies and their lobby groups delay and stop policies and programs that could improve the health and wellbeing of families and communities across Australia.”

Martin Thomas, AGR CEO, added: “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 that are causing significant health and social harms in our communities.”

In November, the AEC revealed that donations made to the major parties by gambling lobby groups surged more than 600% in the past decade.

Featured image: Canva

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Suswati Basu
Tech journalist

Suswati Basu is a multilingual, award-winning editor and the founder of the intersectional literature channel, How To Be Books. She was shortlisted for the Guardian Mary Stott Prize and longlisted for the Guardian International Development Journalism Award. With 18 years of experience in the media industry, Suswati has held significant roles such as head of audience and deputy editor for NationalWorld news, digital editor for Channel 4 News and ITV News. She has also contributed to the Guardian and received training at the BBC As an audience, trends, and SEO specialist, she has participated in panel events alongside Google. Her…

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