Changes to gambling advertising including time restrictions and a ban of celebrity endorsement arebeing introduced to Parliament this week.
The reforms were announced in April during Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s National Press Club address.
The Coalition and Greens have raised concerns about the Government’s bill, while an anti-gambling advocate called it “disgusting”.
Here’s what you need to know.
Report
In June 2023, a Parliamentary committee released the final report from its inquiry into the impacts of online gambling. The committee was chaired by Labor MP Peta Murphy.
It recommended the Government completely ban ads for online gambling, create a new gambling warning label, and introduce identity verification for online gambling.
Murphy died in December 2023.
The Government responded to the inquiry in May 2026.
It noted all 31 recommendations made by the inquiry, and deferred some legislative responsibility to state and territory governments.
In its response, the Government also flagged a reform package announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in April, which it hopes to have in place by 1 January 2027.
Reforms
During an address to the National Press Club in April, Albanese announced gamblingadvertising reform, including:
- No more than three ads per hour between 6am and 8.30pmon TV;
- A complete ban on gambling ads during live sportbroadcasts from 6am to 8.30pm;
- No gambling ads on the radio during school drop off andpick up times (8-9am and 3-4pm);
- No more celebrity endorsements of gambling platforms, including by sport players;
- A ban on gambling ads on sport players and officials’ uniforms, and at sporting venues; and
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- No gambling ads on online platforms, unless they are only accessible by people over 18, with an account, who can opt-out of seeing them.
Coalition, Independent, and Greens MPs, as well as anti-gambling advocates, have said the reforms don’t go far enough.
Opposition
Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson told TDA the Coalition “haveconcerns” about the reforms, and wants to “deliver meaningful and workable reform” because “gambling addiction is taking an enormous toll on so many Australian families.”
A group of independents haveexpressed their disappointment with the Government’s package.
On Wednesday, Senator David Pocock launchedstopgamblingads.com.au to call for a full ban on gambling ads.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told TDA “we sent this bill straight to inquiry,” calling it a “band-aid fix”.
On Wednesday, Alliance for Gambling Reform Lived Experience Advocate Mark Kempster told TDA the reforms are a “real slap in the face... to anyone who gave evidence at that inquiry.”
He called the legislation “insipid [and] weak,” saying he believes it is “disguised to support the gambling industry.”
Kempster noted that the “gambling ad ban” is “one of the main” changes he would like to see, as well as the banning of inducements, such as bonus bets, cash backs and deposit matches.
He said inducements were “the main things that... kept me addicted longer”.
What’s next?
The Government has a majority in the House of Representatives, however it will need Coalition or crossbench members to pass the reforms in the Senate.
With the Coalition, Greens, and a group of independents vocally against the reforms, the Government will need to negotiate amendments in order to pass the changes.
Pocock has already planned to table six amendments, including a full ban on gambling ads, when it reaches the Senate.
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