Australia is moving toward a national system that would let consumers shut off wagering ads across online platforms without hunting through the settings of every individual service.
One Register Instead of a Settings Hunt
The Australian federal government is preparing to introduce a Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register as part of a wider package of gambling advertising reforms.
The register would be administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Consumers could use the central system to opt out of wagering advertising across online platforms, rather than adjusting their preferences separately on streaming services, social networks and other accounts.
Communications Minister Anika Wells described the register as a “one-stop shop” for Australians who no longer want wagering advertising following them around online.
Labor and the Coalition have been negotiating roughly 15 amendments to the legislation, with the Coalition expected to support the package.
Some Liberal MPs still believe the proposed restrictions do not go far enough.
The Old Opt-Out Model Had a Problem
The change follows criticism of an earlier proposal built around a “triple lock.”
Under that model, gambling ads could only be served when users were logged in, verified as adults and given the option to turn the ads off.
The catch was that consumers would have to repeat the process across different platforms.
Evidence presented to a Senate inquiry offered a fairly stark example of how little those individual controls were being used.
Only around 130,000 of SBS‘s roughly 15 million on-demand account holders had activated its gambling advertising opt-out feature.
The revised system would instead allow consumers to register account information, such as an email address linked to an online service, through ACMA‘s central register.
Betting Operators Would Foot the Bill
There are still practical questions to answer.
The government has yet to confirm exactly how the register will work across the many online platforms covered by the rules, or whether it will be ready by January 1, 2027, when several other advertising restrictions are due to begin.
Licensed interactive wagering operators would pay for the system through an industry levy rather than leaving taxpayers with the bill.
The approach resembles the funding structure used for BetStop, Australia’s national wagering self-exclusion register, where operators contribute based broadly on their market share.
Gambling Ads Face a Wider Squeeze
The register is only one piece of the proposed overhaul.
Television networks would be restricted to three gambling advertisements per hour between 6 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Wagering advertising during live sport would also be prohibited during that period, apart from scheduled breaks after 8:30 p.m.
Radio advertising would face tighter rules around school drop-off and pick-up times, while celebrities and athletes would be barred from appearing in gambling advertisements and certain odds-related promotions aimed at sports audiences.
The government is also targeting wagering inducements.
Proposed rules would limit some forms of direct marketing and social media promotions, while cooling-off periods are expected for newly opened betting accounts and customers who have recently left BetStop.
Another measure takes aim at VIP account manager commissions tied to customer spending, a practice already dropped by Sportsbet and Tabcorp.
Some Lawmakers Want an Opt-In System
The proposed register has not ended the argument over how gambling advertising should be handled.
Liberal MP Simon Kennedy has said he would prefer an opt-in model, meaning consumers would have to actively agree to receive wagering advertising in the first place.
Independent ACT Senator David Pocock and the Greens are pushing for tougher measures as well.
Pocock supports a phased gambling advertising ban, stronger restrictions around live sport and a national online gambling regulator.
The Greens have also called for a complete ban on online gambling advertising.
For the average bettor, the immediate difference is simpler: if the register works as intended, saying “no thanks” to wagering ads could become a single decision rather than an endless tour through privacy and advertising menus.
Whether that option eventually gives way to tougher restrictions remains very much an open bet.
