Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced sweeping new restrictions on gambling advertising and online betting, marking a significant policy shift as the government responds to mounting concerns about gambling harm. Speaking at the National Press Club, Albanese outlined reforms that will tightly regulate when and where gambling promotions can appear across television, radio, and digital platforms.
Under the proposed rules, free-to-air television broadcasters will be limited to a maximum of three gambling advertisements per hour between 6am and 8.30pm. Crucially, gambling ads will be entirely banned during live sports broadcasts within that window, a move aimed at reducing the normalisation of betting among viewers, particularly younger audiences. Radio will face similar constraints, with gambling promotions prohibited during school drop-off and pick-up periods between 8am–9am and 3pm–4pm.
Online advertising will also come under stricter controls. Gambling ads will only be shown to users who are logged in, verified as over 18, and given a clear option to opt out. Additionally, the reforms will ban the use of celebrities and sportspeople in gambling promotions, as well as odds-style advertising that targets sports fans. Gambling branding will be removed from sporting venues and player uniforms, further distancing sport from betting culture.
Beyond advertising, the government plans to clamp down on emerging forms of online gambling. This includes banning “pocket pokies” — lottery-style keno games available online — and strengthening enforcement against illegal offshore operators. Measures will also be introduced to standardise match-fixing offences nationwide.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek emphasised the widespread impact of gambling harm, stating, “Every Australian knows someone hurt by gambling.” She highlighted the broader social consequences, noting that gambling harm can devastate families and communities and is increasingly linked to domestic and family violence. Plibersek also stressed that young men are particularly vulnerable and said the reforms aim to ensure children do not grow up viewing gambling as a normal part of sport.
The changes stem from the Murphy Review, a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling that made extensive recommendations for reform. In addition to advertising restrictions, the government will expand financial counselling services, boost public awareness campaigns, and strengthen BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, following a recent review.
Despite welcoming the direction of the reforms, Independent MP Kate Chaney has argued they do not go far enough. A member of the parliamentary inquiry, Chaney has called for the establishment of a national gambling regulator to provide stronger oversight and consistency across the sector.
“Curbing gambling industry harms will require decisive action from the federal government, including the establishment of a national regulator,” Chaney said. She added, “I stand with the researchers, experts and lived experience advocates who have fought for lasting, meaningful reforms that protect Australians from harm. This proposal doesn't go nearly far enough to achieving the outcome they deserve, and all Australians expect.”
Legislation to implement the reforms will be drafted this year, with the new rules scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027.