- Australia is implementing significant restrictions on gambling advertisements across various media channels, effective January 2027.
- These new regulations will ban gambling ads during specific hours of live sports broadcasts and limit celebrity endorsements.
- Prediction markets such as Polymarket continue to face ISP blocking in Australia, stemming from their classification under existing gambling laws.
- The timing of the advertising reforms has drawn scrutiny due to recent political donations from gambling entities to the ruling party.
Australian Government Introduces Sweeping Gambling Advertising Restrictions
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on April 2nd a comprehensive set of new regulations targeting gambling advertisements. These measures are set to be implemented from January 2027 and will span across television, radio, online platforms, and sporting venues. The primary objective of these reforms is to reduce the exposure of children to betting promotions, particularly during live sports broadcasts and in general media consumption.
Analysis of Australia’s High Per-Capita Gambling Losses and Regulatory Response
Australia contends with the highest per capita gambling losses globally. Data from the 2022-2023 fiscal year indicates that Australians incurred losses amounting to $31.5 billion, equating to approximately $1,527 per individual. This significant financial outlay occurs despite Australia’s relatively small population, which constitutes less than 0.5% of the global populace, yet hosts nearly 20% of the world’s poker machines.
The newly legislated advertising restrictions include a complete ban on gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts on television between 6:00 AM and 8:30 PM. For other broadcast times within this window, a maximum of three advertisements per hour will be permitted. Furthermore, the use of celebrities and athletes in gambling promotions will be prohibited. Online gambling advertisements will be restricted to verified adult users who have logged into their accounts and are presented with an opt-out option. Radio advertisements will face bans during school commuting hours.
“We’re cutting gambling ads on TV, radio, online and on the field,” Albanese articulated.
Despite these changes, critics argue that the reforms do not go far enough, falling short of a complete, phased ban recommended by the 2023 Murphy parliamentary inquiry.
Political Donations and Impact on Prediction Market Regulation
Filings with the Australian Electoral Commission reveal that gambling companies have continued to make political donations to both major parties amidst the ongoing reform discussions. For instance, Sportsbet made a donation of $88,000 to the Labor party on June 26, 2024, just weeks prior to the government delaying a proposed blanket ban on advertisements. Similarly, Tabcorp contributed $60,500, and Responsible Wagering Australia added $66,000 to the federal Labor party during the same financial year.
LMAO “cutting gambling ads” while Sportsbet, Tabcorp and the rest of your donors keep the money flowing 😂💀
Fuel crisis? Cost of living crisis? Nah… let’s ban ads instead of actually helping Aussies.
Classic Albo election year special: crumbs and virtue signaling.
Do…
— ضرغام الحجوري 𓃵 (@Alhjwry2030) April 2, 2026
In parallel, the cryptocurrency-based prediction platform Polymarket has remained inaccessible and subject to ISP blocking in Australia since August 2025. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has classified Polymarket as an unlicensed interactive gambling service. This action followed an investigation that identified the platform engaging influencers on TikTok and Instagram to target Australian bettors during the 2025 federal election period.
The US-regulated prediction exchange Kalshi has proactively restricted Australian users from its platform, citing adherence to local gambling regulations. It is important to note that neither Polymarket nor Kalshi are directly impacted by the new advertising regulations, which are primarily aimed at licensed domestic operators such as Sportsbet and Tabcorp.
The newly introduced advertising restrictions represent a segment of Australia’s broader strategy for regulating the gambling sector. Prediction markets continue to be a focal point for the ACMA under existing legislative frameworks. Meanwhile, the advertising rules specifically address the visibility of traditional sports betting operators within mainstream media.
Based on materials from : beincrypto.com