Gambling lobby floats ad limit as uncertainty lingers
Harm reduction advocates are pushing for a blanket ban, while the gambling industry is calling for certainty after years of inaction on advertising reforms.
The key recommendations of this landmark proposal were to phase out advertising, ban inducements and eliminate commissions paid to staff or third parties to induce or enable online gambling. parliamentary report betting at a loss.
The ‘You win some, you lose more’ report was submitted in June 2023 but the government has yet to formally respond to the 31 recommendations.
Labour’s shelved proposal included a ban on gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts and a limit of one hour per side and two per hour otherwise.
Gambling industry sources say there is a push to move towards a limit of three per hour, with downtime being reduced to 15 or 30 minutes before and after sporting events.
The industry opposes a blanket online advertising ban; Instead, it forces betting ads on logged-in social media accounts to be ‘age-rated’ and have the option to opt out.
Tech companies will be required to verify a user’s age starting in December under the federal government’s social media ban on people under 16.
Similar opt-out measures and age-restricted targeting of logged-in accounts have also been implemented for streaming services.
Responsible Wagering Australia, the industry’s peak body, said companies were not opposed to reform but wanted measures to strengthen gambling protections and reduce exposure, particularly for children and vulnerable people.
“Targeted measures such as capping the number of ads per hour on television, banning radio ads at school pick-up and drop-off times, and stricter age verification and opt-out tools on digital platforms are the types of practical reforms that really make a difference,” chief executive Kai Cantwell told AAP.
“If regulations go too far, people won’t stop gambling; they’ll direct themselves to sites with no protections, no taxes and no accountability, while sports, broadcasters and racing lose hundreds of millions of dollars in vital funds.”
The biggest concern for gambling companies is that restrictions on their ability to advertise and provide incentives will lead to a loss of market share for offshore companies.
These operators do not have the same consumer protection and are outside the scope of Australian law.
Therefore, they can offer huge sign-up bonuses or free bets that Australian companies cannot afford.
One of the protections put forward is the involvement of banks in blocking credit or debit card transactions to prevent Australians from using illegal, offshore companies.
It is already illegal to use credit cards to gamble in Australia.
Some gambling companies are already moving to self-regulation due to intense political scrutiny on the industry.
This includes companies like SportsBet, which deduct commissions based on how much a person gambles.
SportsBet has also stopped advertising live betting odds during and just before sports matches and does not advertise in stadiums or on jerseys.
However, offering incentives remains a key advantage for gambling companies to retain punters and encourage betting.
Incentives include promotions such as bonus bets offering free cash when deposits are made or when bets narrowly miss their target, encouraging further betting.
Gambling harm reduction advocates have criticized it as a way of encouraging people to bet more than they normally would.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the federal government had already undertaken some of the most significant gambling harm reduction measures in Australian history.
BetStop’s self-exclusion registry had more than 30,000 active exclusions at the end of July.
“We know there is more to be done, so we have had a number of meetings with harm reduction advocates, broadcasters and sports rules as we look to further minimize the harms of gambling,” Ms Wells told AAP.
National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858
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