Australian Gambling Ad Restrictions Pass Parliament Despite Calls for Total Ban
| Legislative changes | TV wagering ads capped at three per hour during daytime, online ads restricted to adults, and jersey and stadium advertising to be phased out. |
|---|---|
| Criticism from advocates | Former MP Jenny Ware and other critics argued the law falls short of a 2023 parliamentary report's call for a complete ban. |
| Government stance | Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated the government struck the right balance between preventing harm and permitting legal gambling. |
| Industry reaction | Unnamed tech, media, and betting industry sources claimed they were surprised by plans for a new opt-out register operators must fund. |
The Australian parliament has passed new federal legislation to restrict sports betting advertising, drawing criticism from advocates and a former lawmaker who argue the measures do not go far enough to protect vulnerable citizens.
Under the newly enacted rules, television wagering advertisements will be capped at three per hour between 5:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Digital advertising will be restricted to adults over 18 and must feature a mandatory opt-out function. The legislation also schedules a phased ban on betting logos on athlete jerseys and inside sports venues, while placing fresh limits on promotional inducements, celebrity endorsements, and loss-based commissions for gambling employees.
Despite being described by the government as the country’s most stringent wagering laws to date, critics expressed disappointment that the government stopped short of an outright ban on sports betting advertisements. Former Liberal MP Jenny Ware, who previously served on an inquiry panel into gambling harm, publicly condemned both the ruling Labor Party and the opposition Coalition for passing the bill. Ware stated that “vulnerable Australians have been let down” and termed gambling harm “a national public health crisis hiding in plain sight.” She urged the adoption of all recommendations from a 2023 parliamentary report, which had advised establishing a federal regulator alongside a total advertising ban.
Opposition to the bill also emerged within the parliament. Coalition lawmakers Andrew Wallace and Pat Conaghan crossed the floor to vote against the measure alongside cross-bench members pushing for broader protections. Rod Glover, the widower of the late Labor MP Peta Murphy who led the 2023 inquiry, remarked that the new legislation was “far from everything that is needed.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the legislation, claiming that his government “got the balance right” between minimizing harm and preserving the rights of citizens who wish to bet responsibly. Communications Minister Anika Wells noted that the legislation would also bolster BetStop, a national self-exclusion register, by requiring wagering companies to fund public awareness campaigns for the platform.
Uncertainty remains surrounding the implementation of the online opt-out mechanism. Unnamed sources across the tech, media, and wagering sectors claimed they were caught unprepared by the announcement of the register earlier in the week. Betting operators, who are required to finance the tool, have raised questions regarding its development process and associated financial liabilities.
Background
In 2023, an Australian parliamentary committee chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy published a report investigating gambling-related harm. The inquiry recommended a complete phase-out of online wagering advertising and inducements, as well as the creation of a national gambling regulator to oversee the industry.
Australia currently utilizes “BetStop,” a national self-exclusion register created three years ago that allows individuals to block themselves from all licensed interactive gambling services. According to government figures, BetStop has recorded 67,000 total registrations, with 41,000 currently active.
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