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New Legislation Imposes Sweeping Bans on Broadcast Ads, Celebrity Promotions, and Predatory Inducements
The Australian Parliament has officially passed the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, bringing sweeping changes to how gambling advertisements are displayed and regulated across media platforms nationwide.
The legislative package follows months of intense parliamentary debate stemming from a 2023 inquiry led by Peta Murphy, which initially called for a complete ban on all gambling advertising. While the newly enacted 2026 reforms stop short of a total ban, they substantially reduce wagering advertisements across television, radio, and digital channels to establish stronger protections for minors and vulnerable individuals. Additionally, the legislation introduces key updates to BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion register, following a recent statutory review. Several components of the new regulatory framework will be enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Comprehensive Advertising Bans and Restrictions
The newly implemented framework introduces strict prohibitions and operational caps across multiple media and sporting formats:
- Live Sport Broadcasts: Wagering ads are banned during live sports coverage across broadcast and online services from 15 minutes before a match begins until five minutes after it concludes, applicable between 5:00 AM and 8:30 PM.
- Venues and Uniforms: Advertising is prohibited inside sports venues as well as on the uniforms of players and officials.
- Celebrity Endorsements: The use of athletes, celebrities, and influencers to promote wagering products is banned.
- Radio Restrictions: Gambling commercials are prohibited on the radio during peak school drop-off and pick-up hours.
- Odds Promotions: Broadcasting sporting odds promotions is no longer permitted.
- Online Platforms: Digital wagering ads are restricted unless users are logged into an active account, are over 18 years of age, and are provided with an explicit option to opt out.
Additional measures established under the bill include capping television wagering commercials at a maximum of three ads per hour between 5:00 AM and 8:30 PM, creating a centralized Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register, banning online keno “pocket pokies” and foreign-matched lotteries, and tightening restrictions on predatory inducements. Under the new rules, direct marketing of inducements is banned for 14 days after signing up with an operator, for three months after a person deregisters from BetStop, and permanently for any customer identified as being at risk of gambling-related harm.
Furthermore, the legislation grants banks and payment systems expanded authority to block financial transactions destined for illegal gambling operators, while empowering the ACMA to act more swiftly in blocking unauthorized websites. To cover the administrative and promotional expenses of these initiatives, Parliament also passed the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 and the Interactive Gambling (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026, ensuring costs are recovered directly from commercial gambling companies.
Government and Stakeholder Perspectives
Highlighting the historic nature of the legislation, Minister for Communications Anika Wells stated:
“The Albanese Government is delivering the strongest ever laws to tackle gambling harm as part of a comprehensive and balanced package. These laws deliver meaningful protections for Australians experiencing gambling-related harm, including relief from the bombardment of wagering advertisements in sport and strong restrictions on predatory inducements. We are also cracking down on illegal gambling operators and other dodgy services that divert business from genuine lotteries and charities. We have worked across Parliament to deliver a balanced, practical and enforceable package of gambling reforms – the most significant in Australia’s history.”
Despite the sweeping nature of the reforms, critics argue the legislation does not go far enough. Former Liberal MP Jenny Ware, who participated in the 2023 parliamentary inquiry, voiced sharp criticism to The Guardian Australia, stating that the package falls short of addressing the true scale of the public health crisis. Ware noted:
“The legislation that passed this week falls far short of the report’s recommendations. Gambling harm is a national public health crisis hiding in plain sight. The government lacks the morality and political courage that Australians expect on this. Vulnerable Australians deserve better than political convenience dressed up as consensus. Australians deserve better on gambling reform that should meet the scale of the harm.”
