The Australian government has announced gambling advertising reforms
by gostsamo on 4/2/2026, 6:24:12 PM
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62492e925lo
Comments
by: NamTaf
Finally.<p>The deluge of gambling ads on TV during Friday night footy is absolutely appalling. There’s a very robust conduit for normalising sports gambling through advertisements around the broadcasts and it’s clearly influencing young adults. I’ve noticed a dramatic uptick in how common it is compared to when I was that age.
4/2/2026, 8:58:29 PM
by: jjcm
A great first step. I'd love to see a sin tax associated with this as well - ie, for adverts that do run, they should have to pay a % of the ad fee to the government.<p>I don't think people understand just how ingrained in the culture gambling is in Australia. One of the primary 3rd spaces for people in Australia are RSLs, which are technically clubs for veterans to get co-op like services, but have evolved into a 3rd space for everyone that offer food, alcohol, entertainment, and of course, sports gambling and "pokies" (poker/slot machines).
4/2/2026, 11:06:04 PM
by: clickety_clack
Ireland needs this. I don’t live there anymore, but the amount of ads literally everywhere you go there these days is insane.<p>Gambling ruins lives.
4/2/2026, 10:38:16 PM
by: Apreche
> "Today it's gambling advertising, tomorrow it's alcohol, then it's sugary drinks, fast food, critical minerals and who knows what else comes next," chief executive Kai Cantwell said.<p>We have already learned our lesson. Prohibition doesn’t work. But advertising does work. Banning advertising also works. We should allow people the freedom to participate in vice, but ban all advertising for it. Anything harmful to society should not be advertised. No ads for cars, guns, recreational drugs including alcohol, unhealthy food, fossil fuels, or gambling.<p>Who knows what comes next Kai? Hopefully everything.
4/2/2026, 10:43:41 PM
by: babaliauskas
Bold move limiting gambling ads to just three per hour. Next up light-touch bans on cigarettes where you can only smoke during ad breaks.
4/2/2026, 6:45:57 PM
by: amarcheschi
I'm from italy where we have a ban.<p>Some companies now make advertisements of news websites that it is clear are also part of betting companies. For example, <a href="https://www.admiralbet.news/" rel="nofollow">https://www.admiralbet.news/</a> has as other Google result the betting website. However, I do have to say it is still less than before and it's much better
4/2/2026, 9:51:36 PM
by: brotchie
Gambling ads are to Australia what Pharmaceutical ads are to the USA.
4/2/2026, 9:45:09 PM
by: beloch
"TV ads from betting agencies will be capped at three per hour, between 6am and 8:30pm"<p>-----------<p>And thus, the ten minute Australian gambling ad was born.
4/2/2026, 10:47:43 PM
by: GlacierFox
This is all I see on ad supporteed TV at night here in the UK. And half the time during the day. It's a serious problem coupled with, I assume, serious lobbyists here in the UK.
4/2/2026, 9:47:00 PM
by: jmyeet
People reading this may not realize how pervasive gambling is in Australia thanks to poker machines ("pokies"). These are slot machines, basically. And they're <i>everywhere</i> with one exception: they're illegal outside of casinos in Western Australia.<p>In every other state, you can walk into many pubs and RSLs ("Retired Servicemen's Leagues", veteran's clubs, basically) and sit there and lose your house. Pokies can be the only thing keeping many businesses in business. They licenses are so valuable that some businesses are bought simply so the licenses can be transferred. Some state governments realize this so reduce the number of licenses on transfer (eg you buy a business wih 20 pokies and you get to transfer 16 and lose 4). This had the predictable outcome of having pokie licenses skyrocket in value.<p>AFAIK sportsbetting (eg DraftKings) is illegal in Australia because the government has realized how damaging it is <i>yet pokies remain legal</i>.<p>Oh it's worth adding that Stake, which is headquartered in a shack in Curacao for legal reasons, was started and run by Australians who have absolutely raked in the cash to the point of now being billionaires.<p>Another problematic part of all this is how gambling has been effectively used for money laundering. The casinos already got hit for allowing this to happen. Pokiies and smaller establishments remain a loophole.<p>Consider the case of Troy Stolz [1], who leaked documents about ClubsNSW not complying with anti-money laundering and compliance. ClubsNSW was able to bring a private <i>criminal</i> prosecution about this. Youtuber Jordan Shanks-Markovina had his house firebombed (allegedly over this) [2].<p>Youtuber Boy Boy showed how ridiculously lax AML is with gambling [3].<p>[1]: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/07/clubsnsw-settles-case-with-terminally-ill-whistleblower-troy-stolz" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/07/clubs...</a><p>[2]: <a href="https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/friendlyjordies-dangerous-work-met-with-firebombing-attacks,17003" rel="nofollow">https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/friendlyj...</a><p>[3]: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoyH1dgj8Lo" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoyH1dgj8Lo</a>
4/2/2026, 11:10:01 PM
by: Hikikomori
Let's hope that they don't burn someone else's house.<p><a href="https://youtu.be/ZI3zaHUsgXg" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/ZI3zaHUsgXg</a><p><a href="https://youtu.be/jZivPIRvi0U" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/jZivPIRvi0U</a>
4/2/2026, 9:49:18 PM
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4/2/2026, 8:30:15 PM