From next year, the government plans to tighten gambling advertising across TV, radio and online channels in response to a 2023 inquiry into online wagering, looking to cut back what many see as a flood of betting promotions without banning them outright.
Under the proposal, from 1 January gambling ads will disappear from broadcast TV during live sport and be limited to three spots an hour between 6am and 8.30pm, while radio stations will be blocked from running betting ads during school drop-off and pick-up times, and online ads will only be allowed when users are logged in, verified as over 18 and given a clear opt-out option.
The new rules also target how betting is promoted, ruling out the use of celebrities and professional players in campaigns, winding back “odds-style” segments and crossing out cross-promotional content that blends live commentary with wagering information, even as gambling and betting companies had already cut ad spending from an estimated $239 million in 2023 to about $187.75 million in 2024 in anticipation of tougher regulation.
In the bigger picture, this looks like the most far-reaching shake-up of gambling advertising in the country so far, with regulators and industry bodies signalling support for a middle path that protects consumers, especially children, while preserving a regulated advertising market, though major sporting codes and clubs seem likely to feel the financial strain through reduced sponsorships, in-stadium signage and related commercial deals.
Alongside the ad rules, the government is moving against online lotteries and illegal offshore gambling operations, banning app-style “pocket pokies” and standardising criminal penalties for match fixing, while also expanding financial counselling services and promoting the national self-exclusion register to help people limit or stop their gambling.
