Australia Gambling Bill Caps Ads as Senate Review Looms
The Australian Government has introduced the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 to Parliament. The bill would impose new limits on gambling advertising, restrict sports-linked wagering promotions, ban online keno “pocket pokies” and foreign matched lotteries, and expand powers against illegal gambling operators.
The bill will face an eight-week Senate inquiry before it can progress further. Critics have called for stronger restrictions, such as a full gambling advertising ban and a crackdown on inducements.
TV, Radio and Online Ads Face New Limits
Under the bill, gambling ads on TV would face a limit of no more than three ads per hour between 6am and 8.30pm. A full ban would apply during live sport broadcasts within those hours.
Online gambling ads would be banned unless a person has a logged-in account, is over 18 and has the option to opt out of gambling ads. Radio ads would be banned during school drop-off and pick-up times.
Sport would lose several wagering promotion channels under the reforms. The bill would ban athletes, celebrities and influencers from promotions for wagering, ban ads that promote sporting odds, and remove gambling ads from sports venues and players’ and officials’ uniforms.
Anika Wells, Minister for Communications, said the reforms aim to break the connection between sport and wagering, reduce children’s exposure to gambling ads and cut their saturation across TV, radio and online channels.
ACMA Powers and BetStop Levy Add Enforcement Detail
Another part of the bill targets illegal gambling operators. Banks and payment systems would be able to block transactions, while the Australian Communications and Media Authority would receive more power to block illegal gambling websites faster.
Online keno products described as “pocket pokies” would be banned. The same package would also ban foreign matched lotteries. The bill would better define and regulate trade promotion services. The government said this would protect Australians from “dodgy” operators, as well as newsagencies, genuine lotteries and charities.
BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion register, would also face changes under the reform package. A separate National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 would allow the government to recover from gambling companies the costs tied to BetStop updates and awareness of the register. BetStop had more than 65,400 registrations at the end of June, according to the government.
Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Social Service, said gambling harm affects family, friends, workmates and loved ones, as well as the person who gambles. She said last month’s Budget backed more support, with funds to double help through gambling financial counselling and a new campaign on gambling harms and available help.
Critics Push for a Full Ad Ban
Critics argue the bill does not go far enough. The earlier parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and gambling harm recommended a complete ban on all forms of online gambling advertising, phased in over three years, and a national gambling regulator for licensing and regulation nationwide.
The government first unveiled its planned ad reforms in April as its response to that inquiry. The bill will now face further scrutiny through the Senate inquiry before it can progress further through Parliament.
💡TGJ Take
Australia’s bill stops short of the full ad ban that the 2023 inquiry recommended, but it would still force operators to revise TV, radio, online and sports ad plans. The most immediate work would sit with age-gated online ads, opt-out controls and removal of wagering promotion from sport broadcasts, venues and uniforms. The payment measures also matter because banks and payment systems would be able to block transactions to illegal operators. The Senate inquiry is the next risk point for operators because critics still want a full ad ban and stronger curbs on inducements.
