Gambling Ads under Fire: ACT's Crusade Against Sporty Gambling Promos
TV and Radio Advertisements Facing Potential Action from ACT Over Gambling Promotions
The territory's Attorney General, Shane Rattenbury, has made it clear that if the federal government doesn't crack down on betting advertisements in sports, the ACT might take matters into its own hands. Rattenbury has labelled these ads as bothersome and manipulative.
This stern stand comes as part of a larger movement against sports gambling advertisements, with the Australian Football League (AFL) recently conceding that there might be a need to tone down these ads somewhat.
Politicians like Monique Ryan and Rebekha Sharkie, along with a growing horde of their counterparts in the ACT, are voicing their support for outright elimination of gambling advertisements and enacting laws to limit their visibility in sports. The general Australian populace supports a blanket ban on gambling ads.
Should the central government stall on this issue, Rattenbury is ready to explore independent measures. The looming specter of South Australia's restrictions on gambling advertising on TV provides a blueprint. In 2013, South Australia implemented a watershed ban on gambling ads, prohibiting them between 4 pm and 7:30 pm.
But the TV ban might not be enough. Rattenbury envisions targeting both television and radio to prevent ad shifts between platforms. However, the digital advertising front is still a conundrum for the ACT.
The End Days of Sports Gambling Ads
The debate on Australian gambling advertisements is raging. Gillon McLachlan, the soon-to-be-former AFL boss, recently spoke out against the excessive promo of gambling during games. His stance marks a departure from the League's earlier passive approach when clubs were cutting ties with gambling partnerships.
The AFL fans, too, are demanding action. A survey by the AFL Fans Association revealed that 76% of the 3,000 respondents approved of a ban on gambling ads on TV, while another 79% were indifferent to such a prohibition at stadiums.
Despite economic ties between sports bodies and gambling revenue, many fear this income stream might become harder to resist in the future. The ACT appears to have a strategy for this, but sports bodies have yet to act on their own accord.
The Road Ahead: Stricter Gambling Regulations
The ACT aims to reduce clubs' dependence on gambling revenue and promote diversification, an initiative set to commence in mid-2025[2]. On the national level, proposals like the "SAFE Bet Act" suggest banning sports betting advertisements during live sports and between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., as well as outlawing deceitful promotions, to protect vulnerable populations[3].
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is enforcing regulations against illegal gambling advertisements during sports events, as seen in their recent actions against Foxtel/Kayo and Channel Ten for rule violations[1]. With more states likely to follow suit, the landscape of sports gambling advertisements in Australia is evidently shifting.
- Shane Rattenbury, the Attorney General of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), has warned that if the federal government fails to control gambling advertisements in sports, the ACT might take independent action against sporty gambling promotions.
- In response to growing concerns, politicians like Monique Ryan and Rebekha Sharkie, along with their ACT counterparts, advocate for the elimination of gambling advertisements and the enactment of laws to limit their visibility in sports.
- Gillon McLachlan, the soon-to-be-former AFL boss, has spoken out against the excessive promotion of gambling during games, marking a shift from the league's earlier passive approach.
- To combat the issue of gambling advertising, the ACT aims to reduce clubs' dependence on gambling revenue and promote diversification, an initiative set to start in mid-2025, and the national level proposes stricter regulations such as banning sports betting advertisements during live sports and between specific hours, as well as outlawing misleading promotions to protect vulnerable populations.
