Government amends gambling ad bill with opt-out register as Senate inquiry questions its effectiveness

The federal government has introduced last-minute amendments to its gambling reform bill, on the same night a Senate inquiry delivered a critical report on the legislation. According to the source report, Communications Minister Anika Wells unveiled the changes in Parliament on Monday.

What the amendments would do

The amendments to the Interactive Gambling Bill propose a national register that would let individuals record a preference to avoid gambling promotions across multiple platforms. The measure is part of an agreement with the opposition Coalition. It aims to reduce the reach of gambling marketing, especially among children and young people.

For digital gambling platforms, a "triple lock" would apply before promotions can be shown. Users would need a logged-in profile, would need to have passed age verification, and would need access to an opt-out option for gambling advertising. Streaming services such as 9Now and 7plus would face the same advertising restrictions as free-to-air television.

The package also bans endorsements of gambling by celebrities, athletes and social media influencers. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) would gain power to direct online content services to introduce or display opt-out and related features, with penalties for non-compliance within a 30-day timeframe.

Other changes affect wagering advertising on broadcast media. The pre-match blackout around live sport extends from five minutes to 15 minutes. The daily broadcast prohibition now starts at 5.00am instead of 6.00am, giving a 15.5-hour restricted window that runs until 8.30pm.

Wagering providers would also be barred from paying commissions, bonuses or other performance-linked payments to employees, agents or third parties for acquiring, reactivating, retaining or managing customers. Breaches carry civil penalties of up to 1,000 penalty units. An anti-avoidance clause carries fines of up to 7,500 penalty units for attempts to circumvent the rules, and it operates extraterritorially, so it can capture offshore schemes.

Concerns raised by the Senate inquiry

The joint inquiry received 97 submissions and heard from public health experts, people with lived experience of gambling harm, broadcasters, wagering industry representatives, regulators and state government officials. According to the report, experts and submitters argued that opt-out approaches are generally ineffective because behavioural research shows few people change default settings. That could leave vulnerable users, including minors and people in recovery, exposed.

The report also noted evidence that many children keep watching live sport after the 8.30pm watershed, so they would still be exposed to advertising. Some submitters argued that only a full advertising ban would reduce demand. The legislation does not impose one, despite the 2023 parliamentary report You Win Some, You Lose More recommending it.

The inducement ban followed evidence to the inquiry that bookmakers offered inducements, including cash payments, targeted at high rollers. As cited in the inquiry, former rugby league player Luke Bateman said betting companies encourage players to spend more through "clearly harmful activity", and alleged that VIP managers offered to organise illicit drugs for customers. These are his claims as cited in the inquiry, and the source does not report any response from the companies concerned.

Industry response and next steps

Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) said it was disappointed, claiming the reforms would push players "into the hands of criminal cartels running illegal offshore gambling sites". That is the industry body's claim and is not independently verified in the source. RWA chief executive Kai Cantwell focused on the opt-out register and said it undermines measures such as BetStop.

"This new global opt-out system, akin to BetStop, is proposed to be designed, developed and implemented in less than four months. Betstop, which is a simpler concept, took more than four years from inception to implementation." – Kai Cantwell, RWA chief executive

The committee recommended that two key bills pass but urged amendments to strengthen provisions aimed at reducing gambling-related harm. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the bill would proceed to a third reading after government and Coalition agreement. He described it as "the most significant gambling advertising reform by any Australian government ever". The source says the reforms are expected to be put into practice on 1 January 2027.