Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected media reports that the federal government has finalised changes to gambling advertising rules, saying discussions are continuing.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday 3 September, at the same time Sky News published its report, Mr Albanese said the government "has not come to a conclusion, we're in discussions".
"I've seen reports that allege that they know what the position is. Well, they don't." — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
What Sky News reported
According to Sky News, the government will impose an almost immediate ban on online gambling advertising, aimed at curbing high levels of marketing on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X. Sky News did not provide a specific timeframe for that ban, and the source material notes that cabinet has yet to approve any new rules.
On television, Sky News reported that advertising would be partially banned from 2026, giving broadcasters and gambling operators time to honour existing contracts. The government was reported to be stopping short of the full ban on TV and radio advertising recommended in the report authored by the late MP Peta Murphy. The partial ban would likely include a previously reported cap on ads before, during and after sports broadcasts, intended to reduce ad saturation and protect children watching sport.
These details are media reports. The government has not confirmed them.
The government's response
Mr Albanese said the government was consulting to "make sure that we get the reforms right" and acknowledged that problem gambling is an issue. He defended the government's record, citing a register to stop people who are problem gamblers, changes to the use of credit cards for gambling, and changes to the rules and declarations that follow advertising. He said the government was continuing to engage with media organisations, sporting organisations and the anti-gambling lobby.
Sky News also reported that the government told it there will be no independent gambling regulator. The 2023 Murphy Report, which called for a blanket ban on gambling marketing across all media channels, had flagged establishing a regulator as a high priority. Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth told Sky News' Sunday Agenda that the government was not discussing a national online gambling regulator with the states and territories. She said the discussion with them was about "how we better co-ordinate and move forward a unified effort when it comes to online gaming".
Earlier signals and the debate
Reports in July suggested the government was considering a watered-down version of the proposed ban. Under those reports, gambling ads would no longer be shown during children's programming, nor within the hour before, during and after sports broadcasts, and they would be limited to two per hour in general programming. Those details also came from media reporting rather than an official announcement.
Anti-gambling groups have been highly critical of the government's decision to depart from the Murphy Report. Government ministers have previously argued that a full ban would severely undermine free-to-air media, which they said needs gambling advertising revenue to survive.
On ABC's Q&A on 12 August, Minister Bill Shorten said he did not believe prohibition would work and stressed that gambling should not be normalised for children. He said there was no reason for gambling ads to run during kids' shows or to "infiltrate" digital spaces such as video games that encourage people to gamble. He was also critical of technology giants, saying he did not want Mark Zuckerberg or Facebook "in charge of my news feeds".
What is not yet known
No final policy has been announced. The source material does not set out the start date of any online ad ban, the exact limits for TV and radio, or how the measures would be enforced. Cabinet approval has not been reported. Until the government makes an official announcement, the details above should be treated as reported but unconfirmed.