Australia has accredited a broad set of playing reforms that can change how wagering corporations attain prospects and the way authorities reply to gambling-related dangers. The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 handed Parliament alongside two cost-recovery measures protecting the brand new regulatory preparations.
The Albanese Government mentioned the reforms will strengthen protections towards on-line playing hurt, significantly for youngsters and younger folks. The package deal additionally provides regulators and fee suppliers higher scope to handle unlawful playing exercise.
Sporting Promotions Face Tighter Controls
Sport will turn out to be topic to a number of of the brand new promoting restrictions. Wagering commercials will probably be prohibited throughout reside sporting protection on broadcast and on-line content material providers from 5am to eight:30pm. The restriction begins quarter-hour earlier than a reside occasion and ends 5 minutes afterward.
Companies may also be prohibited from inserting wagering promoting in sports activities venues or on gamers’ and officers’ uniforms. Athletes, celebrities and influencers will now not be permitted to advertise wagering.
Television broadcasters will probably be restricted to 3 wagering commercials per hour between 5am and eight:30pm. Radio promoting will face restrictions throughout faculty drop-off and pick-up durations.
The laws additionally prohibits the promotion of sporting odds. Online platforms can present wagering promoting solely to customers with logged-in accounts who’re over 18 and have an choice to choose out.
The authorities will set up a Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register to permit folks to choose out of wagering promoting throughout their providers by a single system.
New Protections Address Customer Vulnerability
The reforms prolong past promoting. Direct advertising and marketing of wagering inducements will probably be prohibited for 14 days after an individual indicators up with a wagering firm. A 3-month restriction will apply after somebody deregisters from BetStop, whereas prospects recognized as being liable to gambling-related hurt may also be lined.
The laws strengthens BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, following the findings of its statutory overview. BetStop supplies a mechanism for folks to exclude themselves from playing.
The package deal additionally bans on-line keno “pocket pokies” and foreign-matched lotteries and introduces stronger guidelines for commerce promotion providers.
Authorities Gain More Tools Against Illegal Gambling
Payment suppliers may have higher capability to intervene in unlawful playing transactions. Banks and fee methods will be capable to block transactions involving unlawful playing operators.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will obtain extra powers to behave extra shortly towards unlawful playing web sites.
Parliament additionally handed the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 and the Interactive Gambling (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026. The measures enable prices related to the promoting opt-out register, new inducement restrictions and promotion of BetStop to be recovered from playing corporations.
The reforms comply with amendments made in the course of the parliamentary course of. The Albanese Government described the ensuing package deal because the strongest ever legal guidelines aimed toward tackling playing hurt in Australia.
Taken collectively, the measures set up restrictions throughout promoting, buyer inducements, self-exclusion and entry to unlawful playing providers, whereas inserting extra obligations on wagering corporations and increasing enforcement powers.
Source:
“Strongest ever gambling reforms passed”, alp.org.au, August 19, 2026
