Australia will bar notable people from gambling advertising from 1 January 2027. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has published initial guidance, leaving operators, broadcasters and publishers less than three months to prepare.
The ban covers broadcast television, radio, news websites, online games and social media. Licensed interactive wagering operators will not be able to sign public figures to sponsorship or ad promotion deals, or bring them into promotions. Current and former professional athletes, celebrities, influencers and notable persons fall under the definition. The minister can widen that list.
The guidance sets out how the definition applies, gives examples and explains how alleged breaches will be assessed. It also covers who creates and authorises gambling advertising, which pulls in affiliate networks, agencies and media partners. Exceptions are made for specialised racing services, channels and programmes. Further guidance may follow.
Disputes and liability
The material lands after senate hearings on the provision. At a 4 August session Senator Sarah Hanson-Young challenged it, and Sportsbet warned the draft definition could catch 'anyone with an Instagram account'. Sportsbet, TAB and Responsible Wagering Australia backed the wider reform package but said a full gambling ad ban could push players toward illegal offshore operators. The regulator did not narrow the definition: the 11-page document calls it deliberately broad, so it covers anyone an operator could use to encourage gambling through association with them.
The duty sits with licensed operators, not with the public figures who appear in the ads. If a person's status changes and they come under the definition, the operator has to withdraw the advertising.
The ban is part of the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, passed by parliament on 19 August 2026. The bill also restricts betting advertising during live broadcasts and at sports venues, bans direct marketing of inducements to at-risk customers, and tightens enforcement against illegal services. Two companion bills passed alongside it: the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 and the Interactive Gambling (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026. They let the state recover the cost of promoting BetStop, of inducement enforcement and of building the ad opt-out register. All the measures take effect on 1 January 2027, with ACMA overseeing compliance.
