Australia Implements New Laws to Restrict Gambling Advertisements

The Parliament of Australia is implementing new federal laws over the next three years to restrict the prevalence of gambling advertisements. Starting January 1, 2027, online services must verify that users are at least 18 years old and logged into a website before displaying gambling ads. All online platforms will also be required to provide an opt-out function for such advertising.

As part of these measures, the government pledged to create a centralized one-stop register that allows users to opt out of all online betting advertisements simultaneously, although the specific mechanics of the register have not yet been detailed.

These regulations follow significant controversy regarding the saturation of gambling ads in Australian media. The move comes amid reports of users struggling to block targeted spam from entities including Google and Crown Resorts, with complaints handled by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and Liquor & Gaming NSW.