On April 2nd, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed significant new rules limiting where and how gambling ads can appear. These restrictions will apply to ads on TV, radio, online, and at sporting events.
Starting in January 2027, new regulations will limit how often children see advertisements for betting during live sports and in regular media.
Australia’s Per-Capita Gambling Losses Drive Reform
Australians lose more money per person on gambling than people in any other country. In the last year, from 2022 to 2023, the total losses reached $31.5 billion, which works out to an average of about $1,527 for each person.
Despite having less than half a percent of the world’s population, this country possesses almost 20% of all poker machines globally.
The new rules will completely prohibit gambling advertisements on TV during live sports broadcasts between 6 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Besides live sporting events, advertisements for gambling are limited to three per hour. Also, famous people and athletes are now prohibited from appearing in gambling ads.
To protect younger audiences, new rules are being put in place for gambling advertising. Online, these ads will only appear to users who are logged in, have confirmed they are over 18, and have the choice to stop seeing them. Radio ads for gambling will be prohibited during times when parents are driving kids to and from school.
“We’re cutting gambling ads on TV, radio, online and on the field,” Albanese articulated.
These changes don’t go as far as the complete, step-by-step ban suggested by the 2023 Murphy inquiry.
Donation Scrutiny and Prediction Market Implications
As a crypto investor, I’m increasingly concerned about how lobbying impacts regulation, and I recently saw reports that gambling companies were still donating to both major Australian political parties *while* discussions about potential reforms were being stalled. It just feels like money is talking louder than what’s best for people, and that’s a pattern I watch closely in the crypto space too.
As a researcher, I’ve found that Sportsbet donated $88,000 to the Labor party on June 26th, 2024. This occurred just weeks before the government decided to abandon plans for a broad ban on gambling advertisements. It raises questions about potential connections between the donation and the policy decision.
During that year, Tabcorp donated $60,500 and Responsible Wagering Australia gave $66,000 to the federal Labor party.
It’s ironic that they’re focusing on limiting gambling adverts while still accepting donations from betting companies like Sportsbet and Tabcorp. Instead of addressing real issues like the rising cost of living and fuel prices, they’re choosing to ban ads – a typical election-year tactic of offering small gestures and appearing virtuous. Seriously?
— ضرغام الحجوري 𓃵 (@Alhjwry2030) April 2, 2026
Polymarket, a platform for making predictions using cryptocurrency, is still blocked in Australia as of August 2025. Internet service providers are enforcing this block.
Australia’s communications regulator, ACMA, has determined that it operates as an illegal online gambling service.
An investigation revealed the platform funded TikTok and Instagram influencers to reach out to Australian voters during the 2025 federal election.
As a crypto investor, I noticed Kalshi, a prediction market platform regulated in the US, has blocked users in Australia. They’ve done this to make sure they’re following Australian gambling laws, so it’s a compliance move on their end.
The new advertising rules won’t impact these platforms, as they focus on licensed Australian betting companies such as Sportsbet and Tabcorp.
Australia’s rules around gambling are complex, and advertising is just one part of them. Currently, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is closely watching prediction markets, and they are still subject to existing laws.
The updated advertising guidelines aim to limit how often traditional sports betting ads appear in popular media.
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2026-04-02 11:02