Australia Reveals Stringent Gambling Advertising Protocols, To Go Into Effect in 2027

Following years of public outcry, the Australian  government announced sweeping reforms to its gambling advertisement protocols, BBC reported.

The new measures will introduce a litany of changes to standard marketing practices for betting companies, including casinos, online casinos, and online sportsbooks. They do not represent a complete ban, but they represent significant changes to a country that has struggled to manage the piling losses of its consumers.

Rules and regulations outlined on Thursday will go into effect on New Year’s Day in 2027.

Australia unveils gambling ad restrictions

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shared the details of the upcoming changes with the National Press Club.

“The most significant reform on gambling that has ever been implemented” deals with several key areas of gambling advertising. That includes protecting youths from being overwhelmed by gambling content, as well as limiting the cross-pollination between sports and gambling.

The first change will limit betting companies to airing three commercials per hour from 6:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. 

In the same vein, all radio betting advertisements will be blocked during school pick-up and drop-off times, which are usually from 8:30-9:00 a.m. and 2:45-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Gambling companies will also be barred from advertising their company and products in sports venues and on the jerseys of players and officials. Athletes and celebrities also will not be allowed to feature in gambling advertisements.

All gambling ads shared on online platforms will also be blocked, unless the user is at least 18 and logged into a valid betting account on the same device. Even in the case that those criteria are met, individuals will have the power to stop seeing advertisements from gambling companies.

Too much or not enough?

With the reforms set to go into effect, the Australian government announced that it will increase its efforts to take down illegal offshore betting platforms, which can offer online slot machines and card games, such as poker and blackjack, as well as outlets that offer products mimicing casino-style games or machines.

Thursday’s announcement was met with mixed reviews. The chief executive of Responsible Wagering Australia, the most prominent organization for betting companies, called the measures “draconian,” and questioned their effect on a national industry that employs 30,000 individuals.

“Today it's gambling advertising, tomorrow it's alcohol, then it's sugary drinks, fast food, critical minerals and who knows what else comes next,” Kai Cantwell said. 

A spokesperson for Sportsbet, another gambling body, also suggested that the restrictions could push Australians to illegal betting platforms that weren’t bound by the same restrictions.

Meanwhile, several prominent anti-gambling voices said that anything short of an outright ban on gambling ads was a failure.

“Imagine three cigarette ads per hour,” Reverend Tim Costello of Alliance for Gambling Reform said. “Australian children deserve to grow up in a country that puts their wellbeing before corporate profits.”

Australian Medical Association vice-president Julian Rait expressed a similar sentiment, stating that “partial bans do not work.”

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released a report last October that claimed that national residents lost $31.5 billion, or roughly $1,527 per person, on gambling during the 2022-23 fiscal year.