Australia’s incoming gambling ad reforms are projected to reduce annual betting spend by A$62.7m (£32.8m).
Last week, the Labor government finally unveiled gambling reforms that will include limits on how many adverts can be aired per hour, as well as a blanket ban during live sports broadcasts. The reforms will come into effect on 1 January 2027.
In a document published by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Office of Impact Analysis (OIA) on Wednesday 8 April, and reported in The Guardian, it was estimated the reforms will reduce gambling spend in the country by 0.8%.
The OIA document noted the changes “will deliver a meaningful reduction in wagering advertising exposure” and would extend to streaming services such as Netflix, as well as podcasts, social media and the Australian Football League and National Rugby League websites and apps.
The report document went on to say that while a blanket ad ban would have had a “higher net benefit”, it would place a large burden on media and Australian sporting codes.
Under the reforms, gambling advertising will be banned by default on all online platforms unless the platform can verify the person viewing the ad is over 18, is logged in to the site and is allowed to opt-out of gambling advertising.
Referred to as the “triple lock functionality”, it will also be applied to podcasts and social media pages sponsored by gambling companies.
The cost to regulate the changes are estimated at A$10m per year, per the report.
Prime Minister Albanese’s reforms were announced almost three years after the late Labour MP Peta Murphy published a 31-point recommendation plan, calling for a total ad ban to be phased in over three years.
Her report, titled ‘You Win Some, You Lose More’, also called for sign-up bonuses to be prohibited and the creation of a national regulator.
The reforms to be implemented? have drawn criticism from Labor MPs and the alliance for Gambling Reform, with the latter claiming the changes fall short of Murphy’s report.
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Analysis from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office outlines impact of reforms set for 2027
The post Report: Australia’s gambling ad crackdown to cut betting spend by A$62.7m first appeared on EGR Intel.