Australia's House of Representatives has passed a bill reforming online betting advertising. The measure emerged from a deal between the ruling Labor party and the Coalition, incorporating more than a dozen amendments.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will run a new opt-out register funded by operators through an industry levy. The register will work alongside a triple-lock system: betting ads will be shown only to logged-in users over 18 who have been given the option to refuse them.
Amendments tighten rules on inducements and direct marketing. Betting firms will be barred from sending ads to customers for the first 14 days after sign-up. The ban runs for 90 days after a player opts out of the national self-exclusion register BetStop and also covers at-risk customers. Commission schemes for company staff and affiliates are prohibited.
The advertising blackout before sports broadcasts has been extended from five to 15 minutes. The three-ad-per-hour cap now starts at 5 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. Ads are banned in children's programming, and restrictions for televised sports now apply to online services.
Coalition MPs Pat Conaghan and Andrew Wallace voted against the bill, arguing the measures do not go far enough. The Senate is expected to debate and vote on the legislation this week.
