South Australian Attorney-General Kyam Maher says a controversial “fun game” that involved payments for a prize by anti-abortion campaigner has been referred to a government department for investigation.

Maher has committed to referring “Sarah’s Game” – run by state anti-abortion lobbyist Joanna Howe – to Consumer and Business Services, the SA department responsible for lottery compliance.

“Consumer and Business Services is aware of the matters raised in parliament this week and is considering them,” a spokesperson said on Friday.

Maher was prompted to refer the issue of Howe’s fundraiser after Greens MLC Robert Simms last week raised it in question time in state parliament.

Howe helped write a late-term abortion bill put forward by MP Sarah Game. The “game” on her website allowed people to “buy words” for $1-$70 in relation to their potential use during the debate on the bill last week.

First prize was a dinner with Howe and her husband, second prize was a $500 voucher and third was a $250 voucher.

Maher said in parliament last week that “it would depend on a whole range of circumstances as to whether it is complying with, I think, the Lotteries Act and Regulations in South Australia”.

“There are certain requirements around things depending on the value of the prizes,” he said.

Simms said he found the game concept “utterly reprehensible”.

“It is trivialising the issue and the experiences of women. It is also debasing for the parliament itself,” he said.

Game, leader of the Sarah Game Fair Go for Australians Party, said last week she was not involved in the game and did not feel strongly about it.

“We’ve got to live in a world where we don’t get offended and upset by things like that so easily,” she said.

“What upsets me is like the termination of a healthy baby, so I don’t feel strongly about it. I think Jo is a very successful social media campaigner.”

Howe’s webpage that hosted the game was live and publicly accessible last Wednesday. By Friday morning, it required an “Australia Life” login to access.

Australia Life Pty Ltd is the business name Howe uses to receive donations to her pro-life cause.

Donations to Howe are not tax-deductible, according to her website, and the business does not appear on the Australian charity register.

Howe did not respond to questions about the game last week, but posted to social media on Wednesday to say “the left is melting down”.

She said “all funds raised will go towards our work to save the babies”.

Howe was Australia’s third biggest spender on Meta platform ads in the past month, spending about $96,000, according to Meta’s advertising spend tracker.

Republished from InDaily