Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, together with Ministers Tanya Plibersek and Anika Wells, announced a package of gambling reforms on Thursday. The package targets advertising, the protection of children and the activities of offshore operators. According to the announcement, as reported by iGaming Business, the changes are scheduled to come into effect on 1 January 2027.
Advertising limits across TV, radio and digital
The centrepiece is a set of restrictions on advertising. Televised gambling ads would be capped at a maximum of three per hour between 6.00am and 8.30pm, and banned entirely during live sports broadcasts within that same window.
On radio, advertising would be prohibited during school drop-off and pick-up periods, specified as 8.00am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 4.00pm. On digital platforms, gambling ads would be banned unless the user is logged in, aged over 18 and given an option to opt out of seeing them. The government also plans to ban celebrities and sports players from appearing in gambling ads.
The source material does not say how the digital opt-out would work, what penalties would apply for breaches or which body would enforce the rules.
Sport, online products and offshore enforcement
For sport, the government will ban gambling advertisements inside sports venues and on players' and officials' uniforms. 'Odds-style' advertising aimed at sports fans will also be prohibited.
The package further includes a crackdown on what it calls harmful online lottery products, including a ban on online 'pocket pokies', with online keno given as an example. It would also criminalise match-fixing, with consistent laws across all Australian states. The government has committed to stronger enforcement against illegal offshore gambling providers, but the source does not describe the measures. Online casino services are prohibited in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
On player protection, BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, will be further strengthened following its statutory review. Financial counselling services for gambling-related harm will also be increased. Neither the funding amounts nor the specific changes to BetStop were disclosed in the source.
Ministers' statements
Mr Albanese framed the package as a balance between adult choice and protecting children from advertising exposure.
"We are letting adults have a punt if they want to but also making sure Australian children don't see betting ads everywhere they look," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Ms Plibersek linked gambling harm to family and domestic violence, saying it is increasingly recognised as a contributing factor and that young men are particularly vulnerable. Ms Wells described the reforms as the "strongest in Australia's history".
Industry pushback and a long road
The announcement follows years of pressure. According to the report, the late MP Peta Murphy tabled an amendment to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 in 2023, with 31 recommendations for reform, including a ban on the broadcast, datacast and publication of licensed interactive wagering services. Rumours of a watered-down version emerged in August 2024, and ministers later suggested that a blanket ban on gambling advertising would not be beneficial. The Greens filed a blanket gambling ad ban bill in the Senate in October 2024. The government initially pushed its deadline back to 2025.
Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) said it was disappointed that the government had not consulted on what it called "draconian measures". RWA chief executive Kai Cantwell said the industry had acknowledged advertising levels were too high in the past and had taken steps to reduce volume. He called the announcement, made with "no heads up and no genuine consultation", "a real kick in the guts for the industry".
The report notes that the reforms require amendments to broadcasting and advertising codes, digital platform compliance and harmonisation of criminal laws across states. It describes this complexity as likely to provoke legal challenges, which is the publication's assessment rather than an announced action. Sporting organisations also face financial impacts from the venue and uniform bans. The legislation is to be introduced to parliament in May.