Australia Tightens Gambling Rules With Red-Flag System and Adstop Register

Australia has passed a new package of federal gambling reforms aimed at reducing gambling harm and tightening rules around online wagering.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 passed Parliament on 19 August, with changes covering gambling advertising, betting inducements, vulnerable customers, staff commissions and illegal gambling enforcement.

Wagering Companies Must Flag Vulnerable Customers

One of the biggest changes is a new red-flag system for customers showing signs of gambling-related harm.

Wagering companies will be expected to identify customers who may be at risk and stop sending them betting inducements.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will oversee the system, while detailed criteria for identifying vulnerable customers will be developed through regulation.

The measure has attracted criticism because operators themselves will play a major role in deciding when a customer should be flagged.

Adstop Will Let Australians opt Out of Gambling Advertising

The reforms also introduce Adstop, a national register allowing Australians to opt out of online wagering advertising.

The system is intended to provide a single way for consumers to remove themselves from gambling marketing across online platforms.

Adstop will operate alongside BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion register, which blocks registered users from opening or using wagering accounts.

Inducements Face Tougher Restrictions

The new laws also tighten rules around bonus bets and other inducements.

Operators will be prohibited from directly marketing inducements to new customers during the first 14 days after account registration.

Inducements will also be banned for customers who have left BetStop within the previous three months, as well as those identified as being at risk of gambling harm.

VIP and Affiliate Commissions Are Targeted

Another major change is a ban on commissions paid to wagering staff or affiliates where those payments are linked directly to customer gambling activity.

The measure is designed to remove incentives that could encourage VIP managers or other staff to push customers towards higher betting levels.

What Changes Under the New Rules?

Gambling Advertising Rules Are Also Getting Tougher

The reforms form part of Australia’s wider push to reduce gambling advertising and protect vulnerable players.

They build on Australia’s tougher gambling advertising restrictions, which introduced additional limits on how and where gambling promotions can appear, particularly around sport and younger audiences.

The latest reforms add Adstop, tighter inducement controls and stronger protections for BetStop users.

Illegal Gambling Enforcement Is Increasing

The ACMA is also continuing its crackdown on illegal online gambling services.

Between April and June 2026, the regulator completed 30 investigations involving 76 gambling sites and recorded 56 breaches of the Interactive Gambling Act.

It also referred 187 websites for blocking by Australian internet service providers during the quarter.

Critics Say the Reforms Still Do Not Go Far Enough

Some gambling-harm advocates and MPs have argued that the reforms remain too limited, particularly because wagering companies will still play a central role in identifying vulnerable customers.

Others continue to call for broader gambling advertising restrictions.

Even so, the reforms represent a significant expansion of Australia’s federal wagering rules, combining advertising controls, inducement restrictions, stronger BetStop protections and new responsibilities for operators.