ACMA sets out rules for Australia gambling advertising ban from 2027

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued guidance explaining how it will police a prohibition, taking effect on 1 January 2027, that stops famous people, athletes and online personalities from featuring in gambling marketing. Licensed Australian operators will be bound by the prohibition, which reaches television, radio, news websites, social media and other digital platforms.

According to the ACMA, the term notable person was intentionally drawn widely, potentially capturing retired and active professional athletes, famous figures, online influencers and other well-known people. The watchdog explained that the category is not confined to figures with appeal among children, since such people may also draw in those vulnerable to gambling harm and fast-growing parts of the online wagering market, including younger men.

The ACMA said operators, rather than the famous faces in adverts, bear the duty to comply. No minimum audience threshold exists for someone to count as an influencer, the regulator said, citing an esports commentator whose following is under 10,000 but who might still be notable through influence within a particular community. Where an operator has paid someone with a social media presence to appear in advertising, that person is likely to be a notable person, the ACMA added.

The scope reaches past social media figures: retired professional sportspeople may still be caught, and politicians, academics and business leaders might also fall within it. Each case would be assessed individually, the ACMA said, weighing factors such as how widely a person is recognised, their career accomplishments, their presence in the media and their capacity to sway consumers.

The guidance also considers campaigns that are compliant when launched but later fall foul of the rules after someone featured in them rises to fame. The ACMA illustrated this with an actor who agrees a 12-month advertising deal with an operator and, six months on, wins a leading part in a hit television series; despite the remaining six months of the contract, the operator must halt further advertising content from being shown, the regulator said.

Industry marketers received limited concessions from the ACMA. Advertising tied to horseracing is exempted where it runs on dedicated racing channels, and sponsorship deals already in place before 2 July 2026 gain a transitional period that may shield them through the end of 2031.

These curbs sit within the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2026, which Australia’s parliament approved in August. The same law brings in broader limits on gambling marketing, among them a blackout covering live sporting events and sports venues.

In July, the ACMA imposed a AU$2.7m ($1.9m) fine on Tabcorp after identifying a series of spam and telemarketing breaches by the operator.