Australia said it would ban gambling advertisements featuring celebrities and limit online gambling advertisements to Internet users aged 18 or older from next year, an attempt to appease public health concerns, but falling short of measures recommended by its own inquiry.
Nearly three years since the Australian government’s review recommended a total ban of online gambling advertisements, citing a blowout in public health costs, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday said that his administration would only allow the advertisements online for users who were logged in to accounts and 18 or older.
Gambling advertisers, a major contributor to free-to-air television and sports revenue, already face restrictions in frequency and the time of day that they can go on air. The wide-ranging new rules include a cap of three advertisements per hour between 6am and 8:30pm, with a complete ban during live sports broadcasts within those hours.
Photo: EPA
The package, which takes effect from next year, addresses an issue that has gnawed at Albanese’s government, although it commands a record majority in parliament.
Cross-benchers say Albanese has been too slow to address gambling, a problem that was forecast to cost Australians A$34 billion (US$23 billion) last year, the most per capita in the world.
Public health experts say the true cost is even higher, as the losses often lead to treatment for depression and gambling and alcohol addiction.
“Not a single parent in this country would opt in to their kids seeing gambling ads,” Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello said, referring to a feature of the new law that requires an Internet user to opt out if they do not want to see ads.
“The government should not claim they are protecting kids from gambling advertising by asking parents to opt out. The onus should be squarely on the gambling companies and the platforms,” Costello said.
Albanese stood by the new rules, which he called “the most significant reform on gambling that has ever been implemented.”
“The government is taking decisive action to tackle the community and public health concerns associated with gambling,” he said in a statement.
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