REGULATION IN AUSTRALIA
of wagering advertising, break the link between sports and online wagering, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of wagering advertising. 6 In respect of sporting events, some of the specific reforms include banning all wagering advertising during live sporting events on broadcast channels between 6am and 8:30pm and banning all wagering advertising in sports venues and on players’ and officials’ uniforms. While the permissibility of broadcasting gambling advertisements during sporting events largely does not change under the reforms, the prohibition on advertising in sporting venues and on uniforms is notable and has led to significant pushback from wagering operators and sporting teams alike. For example, both the National Rugby League (NRL) and the Australian Football League have major partnerships with Sportsbet (the Australian subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment plc and Australia’s leading online wagering provider), estimated to have a value of AUS$15 million per year, and seven NRL teams currently have a wagering operator as their jersey sponsor. 7 As a result, the Australian Government announced on 15 April, 2026 that NRL teams will be allowed to retain their jersey sponsors until their sponsorship deals expire – in some cases, the deals will not expire until the end of the 2028 season. 8 To address the concern relating to the saturation and targeting of wagering advertising, the Bill provides that, between 6am and 8:30pm, wagering advertising on broadcast television will be restricted to no more than three advertisements per hour per channel (unless it is during live sport, in which case they cannot be broadcast at all). To protect children from wagering advertising, all wagering advertising on broadcast radio will be banned from 8–9am and 3–4pm, these being the times children are dropped off
and picked up at school.
Moreover, it is an offence under the Bill for a licensed wagering service provider to make a contract or arrangement, or arrive at an understanding, with a ‘notable person’. ‘Notable persons’ are defined as including current or former athletes, current or former celebrities, current or former social media influencers and current or former prominent individuals; however, the Government has not provided any guidance as to the interpretation of these categories. Finally, the Bill introduces a requirement for ‘Triple Lock’ functionality on all online platforms. This means that all wagering advertising on online platforms will be prohibited, except where users:
• are logged in; • are 18 years or older; and • have not opted out of such advertising.
The Triple Lock requirement applies to a wide range of platforms, including search engines, general websites and mobile game apps. To date, there has been no guidance as to whether the ban will be applied uniformly across platforms – for instance, whether platforms featuring wagering advertising will be allowed to appear in search engine results – however, it is understood that platforms that wish to publish wagering advertising will be required to implement age verification measures to ensure that users are at least 18 years of age. Age verification measures are not new to Australia. For example, as of 9 March, 2026, video game providers are required to implement similar age assurance measures to prevent children from accessing R18+ online video games. 9 Similarly, since 10 December, 2025, Australia has had in place a social media ban for persons under 16 years of age, requiring social media providers to verify the age of their users before they can access the platform. 10
6 Australian Government, ‘Australian Government Response to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Inquiry Report: You Win Some, You Lose More’ (May 2026) 4 (Government Response) 7 Chris Barrett, Dan Walsh and Danny Russell, ‘NRL, AFL Brace for Impact of Gambling Advertising Reforms’, The Age (online, 2 April, 2026) <https://www.theage.com.au/sport/nrl-afl-brace-for-impact-of-gambling-advertising-reforms-20260402-p5zkyk.html>. 8 Chris Barrett, ‘NRL Clubs Handed Betting Sponsorship Lifeline in Face of Looming Ban’, The Sydney Morning Herald (online, 15 April, 2026) <https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-clubs-handed-betting-sponsorship-lifeline-in-face-of-looming-ban-20260415-p5zo0y.html>. 9 Emily Kowal, ‘Adults Required to Prove Age to Watch Porn, Video Games in Major Crackdown’, The Sydney Morning Herald (online, 6 March, 2026) <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/adults-required-to-prove-age-to-watch-porn-video-games-in-major-crackdown-20260305-p5o7rs. html>. 10 Justine Munsie et al, ‘Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Begins’, Addisons (online, 9 December, 2025) <https://addisons.com/article/
IMGL MAGAZINE | JUNE 2026
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