Government Plans to Prohibit TV Betting Advertisements within Two Years and Instantly Ban Online Gambling Ads
Australia Advances Gambling Reforms: Advertisement Regulations Tightened and Harm Minimisation Trials Announced
Australia is moving forward with significant gambling reforms, focusing on reducing exposure to gambling advertisements and implementing harm minimisation technologies. The reforms have garnered strong public support and aim to address concerns about the proliferation of gambling ads, children's exposure, and advertising during sporting events.
The discussions surrounding these reforms revolve around improving coordination and moving forward a unified effort when it comes to online gaming. One of the key measures involves tightening the regulations around gambling advertisements.
Currently, regulations require responsible gambling messages on gambling ads, but breaches, such as those by pay TV operator Foxtel, have raised questions about enforcement. As a result, there is a push for stricter oversight.
While a full ban on sports betting advertisements across all platforms has not been fully enacted yet, there is significant public support for such a measure. Advocacy groups continue to press for it, but definitive policy moves are still pending.
In contrast, other jurisdictions, such as India, have recently approved blanket bans on online money gaming ads, reflecting growing international momentum for stricter gambling advertisement controls. Australia may look to these examples to inform future policy.
One of the specific measures in the reforms involves restrictions on gambling advertisements. The government proposed a cap on TV ads instead of a full-blown ban at the start of August. The new measures will limit gambling ads to two per hour on each TV channel until 10 pm, and operators will be prevented from airing their ads an hour before the start of a live sporting event.
Moreover, the reforms will also address the issue of online gambling ads. Online gambling ads are planned to be banned almost immediately, and gambling ads are planned to be banned across online social media platforms.
The Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, has been consulting with industry representatives on the advertising aspect, which will be included in the upcoming reforms soon to receive approval from the PM.
In addition to advertising regulations, the reforms also include trials of harm minimisation technologies. Victoria has initiated a trial requiring patrons to use account-based "YourPlay" cards on electronic gaming machines (pokies) at select venues from September to November 2025. This system enables players to set personal loss limits and provides real-time feedback on expenditure, aiming to encourage safer gambling behavior and reduce harm.
The trial also aims to tackle issues like money laundering through more controlled electronic gaming machine use.
The Australian gambling addiction charity Self Help Addiction Resource Centre recently demanded the government implement a blanket ban on gambling ads, joining the chorus of calls for stricter regulations. The Australian Medical Association emphasized the importance of implementing a blanket ban on online ads at the end of August.
Restrictions on sportsbooks to stop them from placing online and social media ads could be imposed sooner. The Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth, informed Sky News that the idea of forming a national online gambling regulator would not be pursued, indicating a shift away from this suggestion made in the parliamentary committee report.
The ban on TV gambling ads, due to contract terms, may take close to two years to fully come into effect. However, the reforms mark a significant step forward in addressing the concerns surrounding gambling advertisements and harm minimisation in Australia.
- The ongoing gambling reforms in Australia aim to impose restrictions on sportsbooks, preventing them from placing online and social media ads, as proposed by the Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth.
- Besides advertisement regulations, the reforms also include trials of harm minimisation technologies, such as the use of account-based "YourPlay" cards on electronic gaming machines, to tackle issues like money laundering and promote safer gambling behavior, as demonstrated by the trial in Victoria.
