Australian Gambling Ads Ban Stalls Once Again

Australia’s efforts to place restrictions on gambling advertisements have encountered yet another setback, as doubts grow about the feasibility of pushing through gambling reforms this year.

There are suggestions that the proposed legislation aimed at reducing the visibility of gambling ads failed to secure sufficient support in the Senate. Meanwhile Australia’s Minister for Sport, Anika Wells, suggested that more consultations were required.

Wells acknowledged that the financial dependency of various sports organizations influenced discussions on the bill. She also admitted that the decision to hold off on advancing the bill reflects a need for further consideration.

Andrew Leigh, the assistant minister for Treasury, contradicted the minister claiming that they

“aren’t able to find the numbers in the Senate at the moment for the blackout period before and after sporting events”.

Despite numerous studies on the subject and a proposed three-year phase-out for a complete ban on gambling ads following a parliamentary inquiry earlier this year, progress remains stalled. The parliamentary inquiry came back with 31 recommendations, with a ban on gambling ads the main proposal.

Speaking to The Guardian, Wells expressed concerns about gambling’s impact, stating,

“I’ve got concerns about how [gambling] is impacting sport integrity and how this is impacting our athletes.

On the flip side, I have national sporting organizations, professional codes worried about how this will impact the viability of their financial models.”

Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland joined Wells in advocating for a more comprehensive approach.

While no official start date was mentioned for the rollout of the first phase of restrictions, it is highly unlikely that any limits will be in place before 2025.

Delay Follows PM’s Remarks on Betting

Earlier this year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backtracked on suggestions that the government would introduce a ban on gambling ads saying  “The problem isn’t advertising, the problem is gambling.”

Speaking on ABC radio today, Albanese said that the blanket ban on gambling ads, which was recommended in the the government inquiry into the effects of online gambling on problem gamblers, was not the ‘bold’ move that many made it out to be.

David Burke

London based reporter covering all aspects of the global regulated and unregulated land-based and online gambling industry – including business news, sports-betting, casinos, poker & regulation