Australia’s Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2026 was formally introduced in the country’s parliament and aims to heavily restrict gambling advertisements on both traditional media and online platforms. However, the proposed law faced strong criticisms by the opposition, who called the measures inadequate and called for further crackdowns on betting.
Gambling Amendment Bill Enters Parliament
Key points in the legislation include banning advertising during live sport and prohibitions on online keno and foreign matched lottery products, and also forbidding gambling ads on TV before 8:30 pm, among other changes. If written into law, the legislation would also strengthen Australia’s BetStop national self-exclusion register and expand enforcement powers targeting illegal offshore gambling operators.
This is part of a wider attempt in Australia to rein in gambling advertisements, as other government bodies are also trying to regulate the practice. For example, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is preparing to update its regulations to improve consumer protections.
However, not everyone in Australia’s parliament is convinced that these restrictions would be enough. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is one of the voices criticizing the new bill, describing it as “half-arsed.” She said that children do not typically go to bed at 8:30 pm, when gambling advertisements could start to be shown on TV. She also argued that young people are being heavily exposed to gambling advertising online, adding that the government’s bill does not adequately address these issues.
Meanwhile, Simon Kennedy, the member for Cook, said he had seen firsthand how gambling had shifted from a form of entertainment to causing industrial-scale harm for many Australians. He claimed that Labor’s legislation amounted to a capitulation to the gambling lobby.
Cook also argued that the bill fell short on advertising restrictions, inducements, and protections for children and young people. He also said the prime minister should be standing with Australian families rather than protecting vested interests.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie was particularly harsh in his criticisms. According to him, the parliament goes hand-in-hand with the gambling companies and the media companies. He likened them to “jackals feeding on the carcass of gambling addicts.”
What Happens Next?
The new changes are due to take effect from January 1, 2027, and are expected to undergo another Senate inquiry during parliament’s winter break. Even representatives from both the gambling industry and harm reduction advocates agreed that the government’s consultation process was rushed. They said they were dissatisfied that the process lasted only a few weeks and argued that they had limited time to discuss the proposed changes directly with the government.
Meanwhile, Communications Minister Anika Wells described the reforms as “significant” and, while not opposing a Senate inquiry, noted that such a review could delay their implementation. She claimed that further delaying the implementation of the reforms was not justified, given that the issue had already been widely and extensively discussed in public over the past three years.
In other news about gambling restrictions in Australia, ACMA extended its list of prohibited domains by another 12 websites in an effort to curb the rapid rise of illegal online gambling platforms.