Aus Bans on Gambling Advertising from 2027

Australia is set to get tougher on online gambling advertising, with new laws planned to be in place by 2027.

The office of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today issued a media release outlining key aspects of soon to introduced legislation, citing the overexposure of kids to gambling as a key motivation. The new restrictions will fall into five categories.

Restrictions on TV advertising
TV networks will only be able to run a maximum of 3 gambling advertisements per hour between 6am and 8.30pm. During live televised sporting events there will be a complete ban on gambling ads.
Restrictions on radio advertising
Gambling will be banned from radio broadcast during school drop off and pickup times (8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm)
Restrictions on social media advertising
Gambling adds can only be run on social media platforms where users are logged in, are over 18, and where an option to opt-out exists.
Ban on celebrity endorsements
The use of sports stars and other celebrities in gambling advertisements or promotions will be banned completely.
Ban on in-venue advertising
Gambling ads in sporting venues and on team uniforms will be banned.

Albanese was quoted as saying,

“We’re getting the balance right here, letting adults have a punt if they want to but also making sure Australian children don’t see betting ads everywhere they look. What we don’t want is kids growing up thinking that footy and gambling are the same thing.”

In addition to the advertising restrictions, the new laws will also include measures to crack down on illegal offshore gambling providers and improve BetStop (the National Self-Exclusion Register).

The plan is to have the new laws in place from January 2027.

Pressure has been building on the government to toughen the stance on gambling ads for some time now. Gambling advertising in Australia has become all-pervasive in recent years contributing to a surge in problem gambling amongst adults. But impetus for change has been largely driven by growing concerns that gambling is becoming normalised for kids.

These concerns were highlighted in a parliamentary committee report released in 2023 (the Murphy Report) that recommended a phased ban on advertising. The report triggered public debate on the issue and political pressure for change has been growing ever since.

This pressure culminated with a recent ‘1,000 days of inaction’ campaign lead by the Alliance for Gambling Reform, the AMA and independent MP David Pocock. The campaign pointed out that March 2026 marked over 1,000 days since the Murphy Report was released, without any meaningful action on the issue from the government.

Now that the government has acted, pressure is likely to continue with many disappointed that the restrictions planned are a heavily watered down version of what was recommended. As an example, the Murphy report called for a blanket ban on all gambling advertisements on TV, far tougher than the government’s 3 advertisements per hour, per network during certain times.

Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA), representing major online platforms, has largely accepted the TV and radio caps as a “workable compromise”, suggesting they were heavily consulted on proposed changes.