ACMA has published its first guidance on Australia's ban on notable persons in gambling advertising, setting out how the regulator will read the prohibition before it takes effect on 1 January 2027. From that date, betting ads cannot feature such figures on air or online.
The rules cover television and radio, and reach news sites, games and social media. Licensed interactive wagering operators will also be barred from sponsorship and promotion deals with notable persons in Australia from the same date. Less than three months remain to prepare.
Who is covered
The ban takes in current and former athletes, celebrities, influencers and other public figures. It catches retired sportspeople, a group bookmakers leaned on heavily. The minister can widen the list by decision, and a person's status can shift over time: an operator may have to pull a spot if its face later becomes notable. Liability sits with the licensee. The guidance gives examples of who falls inside the ban and who does not, and sets out the causing or authorising principle. Affiliates have reason to check their arrangements with agencies and media partners. Specialised racing services and programmes are exempt.
The wider package
The document follows criticism at a Senate inquiry. At hearings on 4 August 2026, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young pressed ACMA on how broad the wording was, and Sportsbet said it would capture 'anyone with an Instagram account'. The regulator did not narrow it. An ASGAM report of 19 October 2026 calls the definition deliberately broad in the 11-page guidance. Sportsbet, TAB and Responsible Wagering Australia backed the package overall but warned that a full advertising ban would push players to illegal offshore sites.
The ban sits in the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, passed by parliament on 19 August 2026. The law also restricts advertising during live sports broadcasts and at stadiums, bars direct marketing of bonuses to vulnerable customers, and tightens measures against illegal operators and BetStop. Separate provisions cover lottery products. All provisions take effect on 1 January 2027. Two accompanying laws passed the same day as the bill, on funding BetStop promotion costs and an advertising opt-out register. Operators that use sports ambassadors and bloggers will have to rework contracts and creative before the new year.
