The Federal Government has announced reforms to limit how gambling companies advertise to Australians, and complementary action to support people who experience gambling harm.
Australians are the world’s biggest gamblers, losing $31.5 billion each year to Pokies, sports betting apps, casinos and other types of wagering.
Pressure has been mounting on the Labor government to do more to curb gambling harm, following the release of The Murphy Report in 2023 which made 31 recommendations, including a comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week said the changes strike the right balance, by “letting adults have a punt if they want to but also making sure Australian children don’t see betting ads everywhere they look.”
The government expects the reforms will come into effect from January 2027.
What does this mean for gambling advertising?
The government will cap gambling advertising on free-to-air TV at three ads per hour between 6am and 8.30pm. The ads will be completely banned during live sport broadcasts.
Radio gambling ads will be banned during school drop off (8am to 9am) and school pick up (3pm to 4pm).
Gambling ads will be banned online, unless the user has a logged-in account, are over 18 and have the option to opt-out of gambling ads.
Celebrities and sports stars will be banned from appearing in gambling ads. Odds-style ads targeting sports fans will also be banned.
Gambling ads will be banned in sports venues and on uniforms of players and officials.
What else is the government doing?
The government has also said it will boost enforcement against illegal, offshore gambling providers and crackdown on online lottery products. It will strengthen BetStop – the self-exclusion register, and expand financial counselling supporting for people experiencing gambling harm.
What has the response been?
Groups that have been lobbying for gambling harm reduction have welcomed the changes but want more to be done.
“It’s great the PM has acknowledged we’re not doing enough to protect kids from gambling ads, but it’s still not enough,” Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO, Martin Thomas said.
He told The BBC, “There shouldn’t really be any advertised gambling advertising on television or online. The parliamentary inquiry which looked at this almost three years ago, suggested a full ad ban in the same way that cigarette advertising is banned. No one’s suggesting in Australia that we should have three cigarette ads every hour, so we shouldn’t have three gambling ads every hour.”
Independent MP Monique Ryan also said the move “falls well short of the Murphy Report recommendations.” She recently introduced a Bill to classify gambling harm as a threat to public health.
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