ACMA Clarifies Broad Prohibition on Notable Persons in Gambling Ads Set for 1 January 2027
ACMA guidance details a ban on notable persons such as athletes, celebrities and influencers in gambling ads across TV, radio, digital and social media from 1 January 2027. The deliberately broad rules place full compliance responsibility on licensed operators. Industry warnings highlight risks of driving activity toward illegal offshore sites.
SCCG Take — Operators must review influencer and sponsorship contracts before the tight deadline. The broad definition and offshore leakage concerns require focused ACMA enforcement to avoid distorting the licensed market.
Australia’s gambling advertising rules will ban notable people from appearing in ads from 1 January 2027. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released initial guidance, giving operators, broadcasters and publishers less than three months to prepare.
The ban covers broadcast television, radio, news websites, online games, and social media. Licensed interactive wagering providers will also be barred from contracting with notable people to sponsor or promote wagering advertisements, or participate in their promotion.
Scope of the Notable Person Ban
The legislation covers current and former professional sports players and athletes, celebrities, social media influencers, and prominent individuals. The minister may also extend the definition to other classes of people.
The ACMA’s 11-page guidance describes the definition as deliberately broad, intended to capture anyone a wagering provider might use to encourage gambling through association. It outlines how the definition applies, provides examples of who may be covered, and explains how alleged breaches will be assessed. The guidance also clarifies rules on causing or authorising gambling advertisements, which may affect affiliates, agencies and media partners, and identifies exceptions for dedicated racing services, channels and programmes.
This follows concerns raised during a Senate inquiry. At a hearing on 4 August, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young challenged the ACMA over the provision, while Sportsbet warned that “anyone with an Instagram account” could fall under the draft definition.
Sportsbet, TAB, and Responsible Wagering Australia backed the wider reform package but warned that a complete gambling advertising ban could push punters towards illegal offshore operators. Licensed operators will be responsible for compliance, rather than the notable people featured in advertisements. Operators may also need to withdraw ads if a person’s status changes and they subsequently fall within the definition.
Legislative Background and Stakeholder Feedback
The notable person prohibition is part of the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, which passed Parliament on 19 August 2026, as reported by Yogonet International. The legislation also restricts wagering advertisements during live sport and at sports venues, prohibits direct marketing of inducements to at-risk customers, strengthens enforcement against illegal gambling services, and targets harmful and emerging online lottery products.
Two companion bills also passed on 19 August: the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 and the Interactive Gambling (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026. They allow the government to recover costs associated with promoting BetStop, enforcing the new inducement restrictions, and developing a wagering advertising opt-out register.
All measures are scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027, with the ACMA responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance.
Reporting: Yogonet International
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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