ACMA sets out notable person rules for Australia gambling ad ban

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has published initial guidance on rules barring "notable people" from gambling advertising, ahead of the measures taking effect on 1 January 2027. The guidance follows the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, which parliament passed in August. Under the rules, individuals classed as notable people must not appear in gambling advertising, and licensed wagering operators are also barred from entering agreements with notable people to promote gambling advertising.

Coverage of the ban spans broadcast and online formats, the ACMA said, naming television, radio, news websites, online games and social media among them. Operators, not the individuals involved, carry the compliance burden, and the regulator warned that breaches may draw regulatory action. To reduce the risk of breaches, the ACMA advised licensees to inform third-party advertising and creative agencies about the new rules.

The ACMA's list of examples takes in current or former professional sports players or athletes, celebrities, social media influencers and prominent individuals. The regulator added that the term could extend to people outside that initial classification, with assessments made case by case. Factors in that assessment include how widely a person is recognised, their profile and media exposure, their professional achievements and their capacity to sway the decisions or attitudes of others. The definition was intentionally broad, the regulator said, so that it captures people able to encourage gambling through brand association. It is not confined to figures who appeal to children: people who may appeal to those at risk of gambling harm and to younger men are also covered.

Turning to social media influencers, the ACMA said no follower or subscriber threshold applies, and verification of an account is not needed, before someone counts as notable. A person with a modest following may still be caught if they are recognised or prominent within a community or demographic, according to the regulator. Status can shift over time as well: an individual who was not notable when an advertising contract was signed might become notable later, which could require the operator to stop using the content. In such cases the ACMA said operators should take "all reasonably available steps" to cease or withdraw adverts featuring the person.

Racing-related advertising gets some carve-outs, the ACMA noted. The prohibition is lifted for ads that relate solely or principally to racing when they are broadcast on a dedicated racing programme or channel, or delivered via a dedicated racing online content service. The regulator added that the exception requires both conditions to be satisfied.

The notable-person prohibition sits within a broader set of wagering advertising restrictions due to start next year, according to the ACMA. That package includes barring wagering adverts during live sports coverage, curbs on online gambling ads, a television limit of three ads per hour, and bans on wagering advertising on sporting uniforms and at sporting venues.