Australia promises long-delayed gambling advertising reform

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Tiffanie TurnbullSydney

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Australia has the highest per capita gambling losses in the world

The Australian government has announced long-awaited gambling advertising reforms, after years of public pressure.

The suite of measures will further limit when and where gambling ads can appear, as well as who can star in them - but they stopped short of a full ban, which had cross-party support and the backing of a range of community groups.

Restrictions have been fiercely opposed by powerful gambling agencies, as well as media firms and sports organisations who feared a steep revenue hit.

Australians lose more money to gambling, per capita, than anywhere else in the world.

“We are getting the balance right - letting adults have a punt if they want to, but making sure our children don’t see betting ads everywhere they look,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a speech to the National Press Club on Thursday.

Under the reforms, from January 1:

• TV ads from betting agencies will be capped at three per hour, between 6am and 8:30pm, and banned completely from any live sports broadcasts during those hours
• Gambling ads will be banned from radio during school pick-up and drop-off times
• Celebrities and sports players will not be permitted to appear in gambling advertising
• Gambling ads on online platforms will be banned, unless people have a logged in account, are over 18 and have the option to opt-out
• Gambling ads will be outlawed in sports venues and on players’ and officials’ uniforms

The government will also crack down on illegal, offshore gaming sites, and ban more types of online gambling - like Keno and apps and websites modelled on poker machines.

Gambling