Fewer ads, but no ban: what new gambling laws mean

Families watching sport will see fewer betting ads from January, but Australia is not banning gambling advertising altogether. The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 passed Parliament on August 19, with new rules to begin on January 1, 2027. Under current rules, gambling advertising is already banned between 5am and 8.30pm from five minutes before live sport begins until five minutes after it ends, including during breaks. From January, that blackout will begin 15 minutes before play and continue until five minutes after the event. Television channels will also be limited to three wagering advertisements an hour between 5am and 8.30pm, while wagering ads will be banned on radio during school drop-off and pick-up times. Wagering simply means betting on the outcome of an event, such as sport or horse and greyhound racing. The new laws largely deal with this type of gambling rather than every form of gambling, such as poker machines, casinos or lotteries. Online platforms will only be able to show wagering ads where a user is logged in, confirmed to be over 18 and has the option to opt out. A national opt-out register will also be established. New wagering advertising arrangements will be banned in sporting venues and on players’ and officials’ uniforms, although existing agreements can continue until they expire. Athletes, celebrities and influencers will also no longer be able to promote wagering. The reforms stop short of the comprehensive advertising ban recommended by the 2023 parliamentary inquiry chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy. GambleAware Murrumbidgee manager Kaily Goodsell said repeated exposure during sport could shape the way children understood betting. “Repetitive exposure of gambling advertising during sport has the potential to send the message that sport and gambling go hand in hand,” Ms Goodsell said. She said regular exposure could make gambling seem like a normal part of life and present it as a fun social activity among friends. GambleAware Murrumbidgee provides free and confidential therapeutic and financial counselling across the region, including Young, Harden and Boorowa. Ms Goodsell said the number of younger people seeking help had remained about the same, although that did not necessarily show how widespread problems might be. “That does not mean that there are not larger numbers out there. It just may mean they are not seeking help,” she said. The service has also had family members seek support about another person’s gambling. Warning signs could include changes in mood or habits, withdrawing socially, isolation, selling possessions and a decline in general health. But advertising is only one influence on the way children develop attitudes towards gambling. A NSW study of 1,185 parents and caregivers of teenagers found that, among parents who had gambled in the previous 12 months, 68.4 per cent said their teenager had been present while they gambled. The research identified parents helping or enabling their children to gamble as the strongest predictor of adolescent gambling participation and gambling problems. NSW Office of Responsible Gambling director Alison Parkinson said earlier this year that parents and carers had a significant influence on children’s attitudes towards gambling. Parents have been encouraged not to gamble in front of their children or help them gamble, to talk openly about the risks and supervise their online activity. The online environment presents another challenge. The NSW Longitudinal Youth Gambling Study followed young people aged 12 to 17 in 2020 and surveyed them again four years later. Among those who had taken part only in simulated gambling as adolescents, 40 per cent had moved into gambling with real money by 2024, including six per cent who moved into at-risk or problem gambling. The study does not prove gaming causes later gambling problems. It identified early influences including family, peers, advertising, accessibility and simulated gambling that can contribute to later gambling behaviour. Some online games also include gambling-like features such as loot boxes, where players pay for the chance to receive a random virtual reward. The eSafety Commissioner warns gambling ads can also appear in free games and on gaming-related platforms. How far government should go in restricting advertising remains contested. ACT Independent Senator David Pocock, who is behind the Stop Gambling Ads campaign, wants all 31 recommendations of the 2023 Murphy inquiry implemented. “Our campaign is all about pushing for evidence-based policy when it comes to gambling harm and that means implementing the 31 recommendations of the Murphy review in full,” Senator Pocock said. The inquiry recommended a staged phase-out ultimately leading to a comprehensive prohibition on online gambling advertising and sponsorship, including stronger restrictions around sport. Senator Pocock said the legislation “falls well short of what is needed”. Riverina MP Michael McCormack has argued that reducing gambling harm needs to be balanced against the right of adults to make their own choices. Speaking during debate on the legislation on August 12, Mr McCormack acknowledged gambling could cause financial and health harm to individuals and their families, including children, and backed restrictions around televised football. “What we need to make sure is that we reach a sensible balance,” Mr McCormack told Parliament. He also criticised the government for taking too long to act on the Murphy inquiry recommendations. The Federal Government describes the final package as balanced, practical and enforceable and says it will substantially reduce wagering advertising and minimise children’s exposure. For families, the changes from January will mean fewer betting ads in some of the places children are likely to encounter them. But legislation can address only part of the environment in which children form their attitudes towards gambling. What they see while watching sport matters, as does what they see adults doing at home, what they encounter online and in games, and the conversations families have about gambling and its risks. Anyone in the Hilltops concerned about their own or someone else’s gambling can contact GambleAware Murrumbidgee for free and confidential support on 02 6021 7099.