Australia’s Communications and Media Authority outlined marketing rules for gambling operators following the passage of a reform package on 19 August. The legislation is due to take effect on 1 January 2027, and gambling advertising will be barred from featuring notable persons.
Operators need to account for the advertising restriction before the rules take effect.
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The Australian Communications and Media Authority said influencers with small followings could fall under Australia's wagering advertising ban, which takes effect in January 2027.
Reportedly, Australia’s Parliament passed federal gambling reforms on 19 August. The legislation introduces the Adstop advertising opt-out register and requires wagering operators to identify customers at risk of harm and stop offering them inducements. It also prohibits direct inducement marketing during customers’ first 14 days and inducements within three months of leaving BetStop.
PointsBet Group chief executive Andrew Catterall warned at its annual general meeting that Australian advertising reforms could raise licensed operators’ costs and hinder competition with offshore businesses. He urged the government to give enforcement agencies sufficient resources and powers to block illegal offshore operators.
Australia’s BetStop register accumulated 67,480 registrations over three years, citing ACMA. At 31 July, 41,290 exclusions remained active, while 38% of registrants had selected lifetime exclusion. ACMA has formed a taskforce to implement improvements recommended by an independent review.
Reportedly, Australia legislated a national register allowing users to opt out of online wagering advertising. ACMA must design, implement and enforce the system over the next 12 months. The envisaged model would require online services carrying gambling advertisements to check registrations every 14 days and suppress those advertisements for registered users.