Australia bans celebrity casino advertisements amid push for major reforms

(AsiaGameHub) –   In April 2026, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced significant new regulations governing gambling advertising. This reform is regarded as one of the most substantial in Australia’s gambling history. The measures are designed to safeguard Australians from gambling’s negative impacts, with a specific focus on protecting young people.

Scheduled to take effect in 2027, the rules will cap television gambling ads at a maximum of three per hour from 6:00 AM to 8:30 PM. Additionally, all gambling advertisements will be prohibited from being aired during live sports broadcasts to avoid associating gambling with sporting events.

Radio advertising will also face tighter controls. For instance, gambling ads will be banned during programming segments targeted at school children or on school bus radio to prevent children from being exposed to them.

Online gambling advertisements will be subject to stringent restrictions. All digital ads must be shown only to logged-in users verified to be 18 years or older. These online ads will also be required to include an „opt-out“ feature, giving users the choice to block future advertisements. These rules aim to grant individuals greater control over the ads they see and to curb aggressive marketing tactics.

A major change involves the prohibition of using celebrity or athlete endorsements in gambling ads. Officials from the gambling authority state that these public figures exert considerable influence on young adults‘ behavior. Furthermore, gambling-related promotional materials will be banned from all sports venues and team uniforms.

The regulatory changes are expected to impact the advertising strategies and revenue of major gambling operators such as Flutter Entertainment and Entain. The government has emphasized that the objective is to balance industry growth with enhanced consumer protections and a reduction in gambling-related harm to society.