Will gambling advertising be outlawed in Australia? A 2023 inquiry advocated for a 3-year phased-in ad ban, and in the absence of tougher regulation, SBS introduced an opt-out feature for gambling ads on its streaming services.
In 2023, the Australian parliament released the findings of its inquiry into online gambling and gambling advertising.
Known as the Murphy Review, after the late MP Peta Murphy who chaired it, the report made 31 recommendations to better regulate gambling in Australia, including a ban on all forms of online gambling advertising.
Polling by the Australia Institute shows strong public support for such measures, with 76% of Australians backing a total ban phased in over three years. Eight in ten support banning these ads online and on social media, while 79% want them removed from stadiums and players’ kits.
Former SBS chairman George Savvides has urged commercial broadcasters to let viewers block gambling ads in the absence of tougher regulation.
Calling gambling “an addictive and destructive product,” Savvides also pressed the Albanese government to adopt the Murphy Review’s recommendations, which included a total ban after a transition period.
To date, none of those recommendations has been adopted. Labor floated the idea of a ban but never introduced it.
SBS became the first TV broadcaster in the world to trial an opt-out feature for gambling ads on its streaming service in 2024, and earlier this month confirmed the option will become permanent from 2026.
Previously criticised for running gambling ads during sports, SBS saw complaints fall by 45% after introducing the trial, which allowed account holders to opt out of online casino, sports betting, fast food, and other unwanted ads. Advertisers supported the change, recognising that audiences unwilling to hear their message were unlikely to respond positively.
Savvides, who retired in July, challenged commercial broadcasters to follow SBS’s lead, stating:
“I cannot imagine the level of dissatisfaction viewers of other networks endure as they sit through heavy ad loads filled with gambling spots around live sport coverage.”
The Alliance for Gambling Reform has also called for broadcasters to adopt SBS’s opt-out model.
Its chief advocate, Tim Costello, said:
“No one is seeking to ban gambling, but there is too much gambling advertising - too much of it is reaching our kids, and we can act to protect people.”
For more than two years, the Albanese government has delayed formally responding to the inquiry’s recommendations, facing intense lobbying from sporting codes and broadcasters opposed to a ban.
The body representing free-to-air commercial broadcasters told the inquiry that critics had exaggerated the scale of gambling advertisements and warned that further restrictions would make offering free sports coverage unsustainable.
Last month, Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja said the government had been far too slow and must break the link between betting and sport to protect children, adding before meeting the prime minister in Canberra:
“I can't watch an NRL game without getting odds right before a game.”
The government had planned to introduce legislation before the federal election in May, but reforms were put on hold amid strong opposition from broadcasters, sports bodies and some bookmakers.
Communications Minister Anika Wells has since reopened talks with the industry, and several gambling stakeholders expect legislation to be passed by the end of 2025.
Peta Murphy’s report gained rare multipartisan support, with its key recommendation being a three-year phased ban on gambling advertising. This would give major sports and broadcasters time to find alternative advertisers and sponsors while helping prevent another generation from experiencing gambling harm linked to relentless advertising.
But the ad ban was only one of 31 proposals. Others included a national harm reduction strategy, stronger regulation, an ombudsman, a harm reduction levy, public education, more independent research and improved data collection.
Whether the government will act on these recommendations, and whether other broadcasters will follow SBS’s lead with opt-out options, remains to be seen.
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