Australia’s parliament has approved the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, enacting a wide set of restrictions on gambling advertising nationwide.
The legislation follows months of debate and a Senate inquiry examining whether the government’s proposed measures went far enough, given that a 2023 inquiry had recommended a complete ban on gambling advertising. Lawmakers opted instead for a narrower set of restrictions.
The new law prohibits wagering advertising during live coverage of sporting events on broadcast and online content services. The restriction applies from 15 minutes before a live sporting event starts until five minutes after it concludes, within the window of 5 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Additional provisions bar wagering ads inside sports venues and on the uniforms of players and officials, and prohibit athletes, celebrities, and influencers from promoting wagering products. TV wagering ads are capped at three per hour during the 5 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. window, radio wagering ads are barred during school drop-off and pick-up periods, and the broadcast of sporting odds is prohibited outright.
Online wagering advertising will only be permitted for users who are logged into an account, are over 18, and have the option to opt out.
New Opt-out register to centralize consent
A central component of the reform is the Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register, which the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will administer.
The register gives consumers a single mechanism to stop wagering advertisements across all online platforms rather than opting out service by service. It supersedes an earlier proposal that would have restricted wagering ads to logged-in, age-verified users with a per-platform opt-out.
The betting industry will fund the register through a cost-recovery levy, keeping the expense off taxpayers.
Enforcement powers and additional bans
Under the reform, banks and payment systems gain the authority to block transactions to illegal gambling operators, while ACMA receives expanded powers to act more quickly in blocking illegal gambling websites. The legislation also bans online keno and foreign-matched lotteries.
New restrictions target inducement marketing as well. Direct marketing of inducements is now prohibited for 14 days after a customer signs up with a wagering company, for three months after a person deregisters from BetStop, and indefinitely for customers identified as at risk of gambling-related harm.
Companion bills address cost recovery
Parliament also passed two related bills this week: the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 and the Interactive Gambling (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026.
Both formalize how the costs associated with the opt-out register, the new inducement restrictions, and BetStop promotion will be recovered from gambling companies.
The reforms are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.
“The Albanese Government is delivering the strongest ever laws to tackle gambling harm as part of a comprehensive and balanced package,” Minister for Communications Anika Wells said. “These laws deliver meaningful protections for Australians experiencing gambling-related harm, including relief from the bombardment of wagering advertisements in sport and strong restrictions on predatory inducements.”
“We are also cracking down on illegal gambling operators and other dodgy services that divert business from genuine lotteries and charities,” Wells said. “We have worked across Parliament to deliver a balanced, practical and enforceable package of gambling reforms – the most significant in Australia’s history.”
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/08/21/126017-australia-tightens-gambling-advertising-rules-under-new-reform-bill
