The Australian Government released its formal response on 12 May 2026 to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs report titled You win some, you lose more. The package adopts most committee recommendations and rejects a full ban on wagering advertising. Most measures commence 1 January 2027.
Key components include a national ban on wagering advertisements during live sport broadcast on free-to-air television between 06:00 and 20:30, with a cap of three wagering advertisements per hour per broadcast channel inside the restricted window. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 will be amended to broaden the scope of illegal offshore wagering enforcement by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The National Self-Exclusion Register Act 2019, which governs BetStop, will be strengthened. Match-fixing offences will be harmonised across States and Territories. Funding of AU$112.7 million over five years from 2025 to 2026 is committed to gambling harm reduction.
Licensed wagering operators must redesign sponsorship, broadcast media buying, and in-venue advertising. Free-to-air broadcasters need to update commercial schedules and rate cards. Sporting bodies and clubs holding wagering sponsorship arrangements should reassess revenue assumptions. Offshore operators face expanded ACMA enforcement powers. Lottery providers should track separate measures targeting online instant-lottery products. Payment providers and internet service providers should expect updated blocking and disruption requests.
The Government did not adopt the committee's recommendation for a blanket ban on wagering advertising or for a new federal gambling regulator. State and Territory regulators retain primary licensing authority. Implementation regulations remain to be drafted, and industry consultation is expected before commencement.
Licentium advises wagering operators, lottery providers, affiliates, broadcasters, and sponsors on Australian online gambling reform, licensing impact, and advertising compliance, and coordinates counsel admitted in each State and Territory where needed. Contact us if you hold or are pursuing an Australian wagering licence. Work we undertake includes media policy compliance, BetStop integration, affiliate contract review, source-of-funds checks, and offshore market exit planning.
Source: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, Gambling Reforms 2026, https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications/media-gambling-laws-regulation/gambling/gambling-reforms-2026, response published 12 May 2026, confirmed 15 May 2026.
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