ACMA bans celebrities from Australian gambling ads from 1 January 2027
New guidelines bar notable people from broadcast and online wagering marketing nationwide.
Key Takeaways
- The Australian Communications and Media Authority published guidelines on 19 October banning notable people from gambling ads from 1 January 2027.
- A "notable person" includes current or former professional athletes, celebrities, social media influencers and other prominent individuals.
- An exception allows horseracing ads only on dedicated racing channels, programmes or specific racing online services.
- The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 set related limits, including three TV ads per hour between 05:00 and 20:30 and a phase-out of sporting sponsorships.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority published guidelines on 19 October that ban the use of celebrities, athletes and influencers in gambling advertising, effective 1 January 2027. The rules prohibit operators from entering into agreements that involve a “notable person” in the promotion of wagering advertising content across broadcast and online platforms. The ACMA said the ban covers sponsorship, participation or involvement with promotional content.
Definition and scope
The ACMA defines a "notable person" to include any current or former professional sports player or athlete, any current or former celebrity, and any current or former social media influencer. The definition also covers any current or former "prominent individual" and "a person included in a class of persons that the minister determines". The restrictions apply to broadcast television, radio, news websites, online games and social media.
The media watchdog set a narrow exception for horseracing. Betting advertising that relates solely to horseracing is permitted only if it is broadcast or datacast on a dedicated racing programme or channel, or provided on a specific racing online content service.
Commercial obligations and transitional arrangements
The guidelines bar licensed internet wagering service providers (LIWSPs) from authorising or causing wagering advertising content featuring a notable person to be broadcast, datacast or provided online in Australia. The ACMA included provisions for cases where a person becomes notable after entering a sponsorship agreement with an operator. The authority said advertising content that features a person who later becomes notable "could no longer be broadcast, datacast or provided online after the point in time when the relevant person has become a notable person."
"LIWSPs must not 'authorise or cause' wagering advertising content featuring a notable person (including if they can be seen or heard) to be broadcast, datacast or provided online in Australia," the ACMA said.
The ACMA added it may consider "the likely impact of the advertisement, including its length, scope, scale and reach" when deciding reasonable timeframes to phase out material where a person has become notable.
Context and enforcement
The guidelines follow advertising reforms introduced by the Albanese government in August through the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026. That bill limited television gambling ads to three per hour between 05:00 and 20:30, set a timetable to phase out sporting sponsorships, and introduced an opt-out option for online advertising. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has been tasked with implementing and enforcing the new rules.
Australia will join the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Ontario in banning celebrities, sports stars and influencers from gambling advertising. The ACMA has already acted against individual promoters this year: in July it issued a warning to Australian MMA fighter Jamie Mullarkey over promotion of offshore operators on social media, and in September it applied a court-enforceable sanction to family-owned Palmer Bookmaking Pty Ltd after Palmerbet accepted 312 bets from a person on the BetStop self-exclusion register. For regulatory developments see regulation and recent enforcement notices at news.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the ACMA ban on celebrities in gambling ads begin in Australia?
The ban takes effect on 1 January 2027. The Australian Communications and Media Authority published the guidelines on 19 October and set that effective date.
Who counts as a "notable person" under the new ACMA guidelines?
A notable person includes any current or former professional sports player or athlete, any current or former celebrity, any current or former social media influencer, any current or former prominent individual, and any person in a class the minister determines, as set out by the ACMA.
Are there any exceptions to the prohibition on notable people appearing in betting ads?
Yes; the ACMA permits betting advertising that relates solely to horseracing if it is broadcast or datacast on a dedicated racing programme or channel or provided on a specific racing online content service.
What enforcement actions has the ACMA taken under the new regime this year?
In July the ACMA issued a warning to MMA fighter Jamie Mullarkey for promoting offshore operators on social media, and in September it issued a court-enforceable sanction to Palmer Bookmaking Pty Ltd after Palmerbet accepted 312 bets from a person on the BetStop self-exclusion register.
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About the author
Eleanor Whitfield
Regulatory Affairs Correspondent
Eleanor Whitfield tracks gambling legislation, licensing decisions, and regulator enforcement across key markets — from the UKGC, MGA, and Germany's GGL to Spain's DGOJ and the state-by-state map in the Americas. The reporting answers three questions precisely: what changed, where, and who it affects, with jurisdictions, effective dates, and penalty figures named exactly as published. Compliance officers and operators read Eleanor Whitfield to know which rulebook moved before their next board meeting.
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