Anthony Albanese MP
Prime Minister of Australia

The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP
Minister for Social Services

Anika Wells MP
Minister for Communications
Minister for Sport

The Albanese Government is taking strong action to protect Australians, particularly children and young people, from the harms of gambling.

New reforms include restrictions on gambling advertising and a crackdown on dodgy operators to protect vulnerable Australians.

The reforms will minimise children’s exposure to gambling harm by stopping the deluge of advertisements through:

• Restricting gambling advertising on broadcast television to no more than three ads each hour between 6am and 8.30pm, with a complete ban during live sport broadcasts within those hours
• Banning gambling ads on the radio during school drop off and pick up times (8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm)
• Banning gambling ads through online platforms, unless people have a logged in account, are over 18 and have the option to opt-out of gambling advertising
• Banning the use of celebrities and sports players in gambling ads, along with odds-style ads targeting sports fans
• Banning gambling ads in sports venues and on players’ and officials’ uniforms.

Complementing this strong action on gambling advertising, the Albanese Government will:

• Crackdown on harmful and emerging online lottery products, as well as banning online keno “pocket pokies”
• Make match-fixing criminal offences consistent across Australia, improving the integrity of Australian sport and lessening its appeal as a target for criminal infiltration
• Boost enforcement against illegal offshore gambling providers
• Continue work to strengthen BetStop - the National Self-Exclusion Register, following the recent statutory review
• Expand financial counselling support for gambling and work to increase public awareness of online gambling harms.

The Government will develop legislation to implement these measures, with reforms to begin from 1 January 2027.