Australia regulator extends gambling ad ban to streaming

Gambling operators in Australia are to face tougher restrictions on advertising after the country’s national media regulator confirmed plans to extend a ban on betting adverts during live sport events to cover streaming platforms.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced the move earlier today (Wednesday), with the ban to apply to all sporting events streamed live between 5am and 8:30pm.

The amended laws also state that gambling advertising is restricted at all other times outside this period.

Last month, the ACMA set out proposals to add streaming platforms to an initial list of restrictions set out in March, which ban gambling ads during daytime live sports broadcasts on television channels.

Contributions to the proposed changes were invited up to July 26.

The ACMA, which made the amendments in line with the Australian Government policy on stricter advertising restrictions for the gambling industry, said the new laws will come into effect from September 28.

ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said: “This is the first time that online services streaming live sport have been required to comply with gambling advertising restrictions.

“This brings online services in line with television and radio broadcasting services. It creates a safe zone for children and families to watch live sport across a variety of platforms.”

Under the original regulations, the ban did not apply to so-called “low-audience” sports channels that attracted an average of under 100,000 unique end users per month.

However, a spokesperson for the regulator told iGamingBusiness.com last month that the ACMA “no longer proposes to make this class exemption for small online content service providers”.

The regulator intends to monitor the impact of the new rules over a 12-month period, after which it will consider whether to conduct a formal review of the stricter approach.

Image: Flickerd