Australia's Gambling Advertising Reforms Target TV, Sport and Celebrity Endorsements

Three years after a landmark parliamentary inquiry called for a total ban on gambling advertising, the Australian government has delivered a far more limited set of reforms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on 2 April 2026 a package of reforms that caps TV ads, strips celebrities from betting promotions, and clears gambling branding from stadiums, but stops well short of the full ban advocates had demanded.

TV Ads Capped, Live Sport Goes Ad-Free

Television gambling advertisements will be capped at three per hour between 6:00 am and 8:30 pm, with a complete ban during live sport broadcasts within those hours. Radio gambling ads will be prohibited during school drop-off and pick-up times, between 8:00 am and 9:00 am, and again from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

The restrictions take effect on 1 January 2027. The government described them as a direct response to the 2023 Murphy Report, a landmark parliamentary inquiry led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy that recommended far stricter controls on how the Australian Gambling industry advertises to the public.

Athletes and Celebrities Banned From Betting Ads

Professional athletes and celebrities will no longer be permitted to appear in gambling advertisements. Odds-style promotions targeting sports fans will also be restricted. Gambling branding will be removed from stadiums and from players and officials uniforms.

Online gambling ads will be restricted to logged-in users aged 18 or over, with mandatory opt-out options. The package also targets online pocket pokies, banning certain lottery-style products delivered via mobile, and introduces consistent match-fixing laws across all states.

The government framed these reforms as part of a broader effort to protect children and vulnerable Australians from gambling harm. Annual gambling losses in Australia exceed AUD 31.5 billion across all forms, and the advertising saturation during live sport has become a focal point for reform advocates over the past three years.

Critics Say the Full Ad Ban Was Rejected

Despite the breadth of the announcement, the response from gambling harm advocates has been critical. Independent MP Kate Chaney described the measures as tinkering around the edges of meaningful reform. Senator David Pocock called the package hugely disappointing.

The Greens' communication spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, accused the Prime Minister of lacking the guts to stand up to the gambling lobby. Reverend Tim Costello, from the Alliance for Gambling Reform, compared the ongoing exposure of children to three gambling ads per hour to flooding them with cigarette advertisements.

The Murphy Report had recommended a complete ban on gambling advertising, which the government did not implement. A full government policy on gambling will be tabled in parliament on 12 May 2026.

Gambling Ad Restrictions Kick In From 2027

For Australian and New Zealand players, the practical changes will not arrive until January 2027. Once they do, live sport broadcasts during daytime hours will no longer carry gambling promotions. Familiar faces from the AFL, NRL, and cricket will no longer appear in betting ads.

Online players will notice changes, too. Gambling operators will need to verify that a user is over 18 and logged in before displaying ads. Opt-out options will become mandatory. That said, these restrictions apply only to licensed domestic operators and broadcasters; players who use offshore online casinos for Australians are unlikely to notice any difference.

Federal advertising caps are a start. But with AUD 31.5 billion lost to gambling every year and state governments still controlling pokies licensing, advocates are already looking past this announcement. The full government gambling policy is due to land in parliament on 12 May. That, they say, is where the real test begins.

Green's communication spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, accused the Prime Minister of lacking the guts to stand up to the gambling lobby.