Gambling ad changes set to go before parliament as Labor stands firm

The federal government’s changes to online gambling advertising are expected to come before parliament this week, with Communications Minister Anika Wells saying only minor tweaks have been made to the proposed bill put out for public consultation last month.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the long-awaited changes on April 2, then confirmed his government’s response to the 2023 You Win Some, You Lose More report on May 12, the same day as the federal budget.

While there have been over six weeks for the government to seek feedback on the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, there has been criticism of its lack of consultation, especially from gambling harm advocates, who believe the proposed laws do not go far enough.

Speaking to ABC Radio on Monday, the Communications Minister said there wouldn’t be significant changes to what was put forward in the draft bill and sad it was necessary to push the bill through as the government wanted to bring in the new laws by January 1.

“There are some revisions after the exposure draft and the consultation process and I’ll continue to work with stakeholders and parliamentarians on these reforms,” she said.

“(When it comes to) social policy, the pen is never down. But this is a big and meaningful reform package.

“I want to see it legislated as quickly as we can because the Prime Minister announced at the National Press Club this reform package and said the implementation date would be 1 January and we need to stick to that.”

Wells said the differences between the exposure draft and the legislation will only be minor.

“There’s nothing that is particularly substantive that will alter people’s views of the legislation, given that these are very deeply entrenched views from all sides on this particular issue,” she said.

There is expected to be considerable debate around the bill, with the government requiring the support of the Coalition or the Greens to get the legislation through.

The Greens have said they want major changes, while the Coalition has yet to make its position known.

Independent Senator David Pocock, who has led the charge for the full recommendations of the You Win Some, You Lose More report to be implemented, expressed his dismay that the government had not made substantial changes.

“(it is) hugely disappointing to hear Communications Minister Anika Wells saying on radio that there will be no major changes to draft gambling legislation,” he said on social media.

“This package won’t keep children safe and could lead to an increase in the number of gambling ads they are exposed to during live sport.

“Australians deserve better from the government which is totally captured by the gambling lobby.”

The bill, as proposed, would ban wagering advertisements during live sports coverage, restrict radio gambling ads during school drop-off and pick-up times, and limit television betting advertisements to three per hour during daytime viewing.

It would also prohibit gambling branding on sporting uniforms and at sporting venues, while preventing athletes, celebrities and social media influencers from promoting wagering products.

The reforms would extend to online platforms, placing strict obligations on social media services, streaming platforms, websites and apps.

Gambling advertisements could only be shown to logged-in users who have verified their age and have not opted out of receiving such content.

However, there is a carve-out for racing content, publications and venues.

Significantly, it provides a revised definition of a sporting event for the purposes of wagering advertising regulation which determines that “horse, harness and greyhound racing are explicitly excluded from the definition of ‘sporting event’”.

Another aspect of the proposed bill would target illegal gambling operators by requiring banks, payment providers and technology companies to help block access to prohibited services.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) would receive expanded powers to issue removal notices, compel takedowns and share information with financial institutions to aid enforcement efforts.

The legislation also strengthens the national self-exclusion register, BetStop, by tightening rules around leaving the scheme, broadening protections against marketing contact and improving monitoring of people returning to wagering after self-exclusion.

The proposed bill would also prohibit online keno and foreign matched lottery products, which the government argues fall outside the original intent of gambling laws.