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The Albanese government today unveiled plans for a one‑stop national register that will let people opt out of all gambling advertising.
Communications Minister Anika Wells introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to impose a levy on sports betting companies, with the funds set aside to cover the register’s rollout according to the Australian Financial Review.
Wells said the move was part of a wider deal with the Coalition to pass new gambling advertising laws this week, including restrictions on high‑risk inducements.
“We are particularly concerned by evidence from the recent Senate inquiry about wagering inducements and the role these practices can play in encouraging gambling and exacerbating gambling‑related harm,” she told parliament.
Because the levy is a revenue‑raising measure, it requires separate bills, while the register and other reforms will be added as amendments to existing legislation once Labor’s caucus signs off later this week.
Live sports, influencer marketing, and more bans form part of Australia’s gambling ads reform
Labor’s plan sets strict limits on when and how gambling ads can appear. Television networks would be capped at three ads an hour between 6 am and 8.30 pm, with a full blackout during live sport except for scheduled breaks after 8.30 pm.
Online platforms would only be allowed to show gambling promotions if they meet a “triple lock” requirement, a log‑in profile, age verification, and an opt‑out option for advertising.
Radio would face its own restrictions, with ads banned during school drop‑off and pick‑up times. High‑risk inducements are expected to be scaled back, and rules covering ads during children’s programming, previously left to industry codes, would now be written directly into law.
Celebrities and athletes would no longer be permitted to front gambling campaigns or odds‑style promotions aimed at sports fans. Influencer marketing, which bookmakers have used heavily to reach younger audiences, would also be cut off under the proposed rules.
The package does not go as far as the full ban recommended by the 2023 parliamentary report You Win Some, You Lose More. Both the Coalition and the Greens have already signaled they want tougher measures before backing the laws in the Senate.
VIP commissions to end following Senate inquiry
Sports betting companies could soon be barred from paying commissions to VIP account managers under the ongoing amendments. The change would bring streaming platforms such as 9Now and 7plus under the same advertising rules that already apply to free‑to‑air television.
Big operators like Sportsbet and Tabcorp already stopped using commissions, so the impact would fall mostly on smaller firms.
The push follows a Senate inquiry earlier this month that revealed how high‑value gamblers were lured with inducements ranging from cash and travel to escorts and drugs.
Former NRL player Luke Bateman also told the inquiry that, as a young athlete, he was invited to VIP events across the country and once took drugs with executives from a bookmaker at a Gold Coast party. Both Tabcorp and Sportsbet denied the claims.
“We are particularly concerned by evidence about wagering inducements and the role these practices can play in encouraging gambling and exacerbating gambling-related harm,” Wells said.
She also stated that the new ads exclusion register was proof the government had listened to the concerns raised during the hearing, and the ban on commissions is now set to be part of the broader reform package.
