Alexander Norrish is a Senior Associate at Senet, a firm specialising in gambling law, has established himself in this complex industry. He advises clients on navigating the intricate legal and regulatory frameworks that govern gambling in Australia. In this interview, he reflects on his career path and the experiences that have shaped his professional journey, and shares insights into the specialised world of gambling law, the challenges and opportunities it presents.
Gambling Law Uncovered: The Career and Insights of Alexander Norrish
Author: Nelson Thomason
Interviewers: Jessica Woodyatt, Ashleigh Cheuk & Nelson Thomason
Chapter 1: Finding his Path
When Alexander was finishing high school at 18, he was torn. Both law and architecture seemed like a natural fit to him, but he was unsure what path to take. Alexander said that he literally flipped a coin, and it landed on heads. He was on his way to law school.
He paired his law degree with a Bachelor of Arts, initially with the plan to study Philosophy and International Relations. However he went to the classes and 'didn’t like either of them as an 18 year old,' he recalled. In addition to that, the workload of combining heavy law subjects with theory-heavy arts units felt overwhelming. So he changed direction completely and pursued Film and Television instead.
What drew him to Film and Television was simple but powerful: 'You watch a film, you talk about it, and you’re asked what you think. You form an opinion and back it up.' This was refreshing compared to the early years of law, where he noticed he was never asked for his personal view on the law. Majoring in Film and Television offered a nice balance.
Around the third year, Alexander was eager to move beyond theory and itching to do something practical. He found as many practical electives as he could to squeeze into the last remaining units in his degree, such as a negotiation intensive, and the Monash Law Clinics. These subjects gave him his first real taste of what being a lawyer was like.
Chapter 2: Developing Skills Beyond the Textbook
Alexander shared his experiences in the Monash Law Clinics. He describes it as 'the best subject I ever did'. Unlike the black-letter focus of most law classes, the clinics taught him the human side of legal practice. 'What they don’t necessarily teach you is how to deal with a client. Someone sits in front of you, tells you fifteen things, only three of which are relevant to a legal question, and you have to sift through what matters while relating to them as a person.'
He vividly remembers a client breaking down in tears in front of him. 'How do you deal with that as a 23 year old? You need to be sympathetic and empathetic, but also to do a job as well. So I think that emotional intelligence was really important.' The elective also gave him the thrill of seeing matters through from start to finish. He got to instruct in a court proceeding for the first time, negotiated directly with a police prosecutor in a car accident case. Those experiences gave him the confidence that a career in law was the right path.
Chapter 3: A Whirlwind Tour of the Supreme Court
After graduation, Alexander undertook his Practical Legal Training through Leo Cussen. He spotted a role at the Supreme Court on a job board. The position of registry lawyer intrigued him. He secured the role and rotated through different departments, from the Court of Appeal to the probate list, criminal lists, and even the self-represented litigants division. Alexander explained to us the type of things he would do on a daily basis, which included a lot of shadowing, some research, and liaising with judges and associates. Alexander felt like the placement gave him a 'whirlwind tour of how the Supreme Court operates.'
Alexander with the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.
Chapter 4: Working for the Royal Commission
After receiving the graduate diploma, Alexander was looking for his next opportunity. He applied for what he thought was a standard paralegal role. After multiple interviews, he discovered he was actually being vetted to work on the Royal Commission. He worked as a paralegal doing document discovery before being kept as a lawyer.
As a solicitor assisting the Commission, his 'client' was the Commission itself. Alexander’s role was helping formulate the commission’s response to the first term of reference around how many convictions were affected by Nicola Gobbo’s conduct. This work entailed sifting through what she told police, what the police did with that information, whether it made its way into criminal briefs and what convictions might be affected by that.
The workload was intense. 'Everything was due yesterday. It was pretty heavy and demanding.' After some time, Alexander realised he was pretty close to being burnt out. Eventually, needing a break, Alexander took time out to decide his next step. A colleague suggested he seemed to enjoy work that was technical and detail-oriented. Through a friend of a friend, he discovered a firm specialising in gambling law. Curious, he decided to give it a try, and found his niche. Today, Alexander is a Senior Associate at Senet.
Chapter 5: Inside the World of Gambling Law
Gambling law, Alexander explains, is 'its own little ecosystem.' It’s regulated at both federal and state/territory levels, often with multiple overlapping acts and even ministerial decisions. There is certainly lots of law to sift through. 'If you think you know what it is, that’s great, but you also need to double check just in case it’s changed.' The work is varied. Alexander shared what he had been working on in the week leading up to our interview:
A startup considering an online lottery business
A client looking to promote their existing business through a trade promotion style endeavor.
Reviewing marketing campaigns of another company for compliance across all states and territories.
Giving tax advice
A criminal matter requiring him to sift through a brief of evidence
'Never a dull moment,' he laughs. 'If it was easy, everyone would do it, but only a few firms in the country do this kind of stuff.'
Most of Alexander’s clients are corporations and businesses. 'We don’t really represent individuals,' he explained. Instead, the firm acts for established operators, startups, and even international businesses looking to expand into Australia. On the other side, they occasionally represent regulators as well. They also handle international clients, like clients who want to expand their businesses into Australia.
We asked if there were any challenges in this niche area of law. He reveals that breaking into gambling came with a steep learning curve. 'There’s no gambling law elective at university. You’re piecing it together step by step.' Alexander had to build an understanding of how different regulators and bodies interrelate, applying his corporate and commercial law training to a highly specific industry. 'It wasn’t probably until about a year in that things started to click, and I really understood how everything fit together.' Further, the legal framework itself is in a flux. A 2023 federal report titled ‘You Win Some, You Lose More’ made recommendations about online wagering, and changes could be on the horizon. 'The principles are consistent across jurisdictions, but how they’re applied is different. That challenge is part of what keeps the work interesting.’
Alexander was the ‘youngest moderator at for Backing The Punt who did an outstanding job entertaining the audience and guiding the panel through an excellent discussion on new market entrants to the bookmaker and wagering space.’ – Senet’s LinkedIn post. View the original post here.
Chapter 6: Busting Myths about Gambling Law
Alexander clears up some of the common misconceptions about his practice. One common misconception is that gambling law is lightly regulated, or that operators are taking advantage or not operating in a way that is compliant. In reality, most are operating in a compliant manner within the framework that currently exists.
His role, as he explains it, is 'to help guide businesses and operators into a compliant standpoint. How do they become compliant? What do they need to change and what can I do to get them there?' Sometimes that means convincing them to do something they don’t really want to do. 'I roll my sleeves up and try and help them be as compliant as possible'
Chapter 7: Tips for Students
For students curious about gambling law, Alexander admits it can be a tough space to break into 'there are only a handful of firms that specialise in it, so it’s quite challenging,' he says. That doesn’t mean opportunities aren’t there. The key, he explains, is having the right mindset. 'It’s precise work. You need diligence, hard work, and an eye for detail. If you enjoy getting into the detail, then this could be for you.’ Alexander reminds students that there are opportunities not just at firms, but also in regulatory bodies.
Chapter 8: Looking Ahead
We asked Alexander what goals he’s looking to achieve going forward. Having achieved his goal of becoming Senior Associate before 30, Alexander is now setting his sights on new horizons. His focus has shifted toward building his profile within the field, seeking out opportunities to speak at events and position himself as an emerging expert in the space.
But professional growth to Alexander is also about lifting others up. Mentorship and leadership are equally important to him. 'I get a lot of satisfaction out of that mentoring piece as well,’ he says. He understands the challenges firsthand. 'I know what it is like to be in their shoes and come in without any real knowledge at all and get off that curve and how hard it can be to get off that curve,’ he explains. 'So I like giving back.'