Australia bans celebrities from gambling advertising from 2027
ACMA guidelines published 19 Oct; ban takes effect 1 Jan 2027 with limited exemptions
Key Takeaways
- The ACMA published guidelines on 19 October that ban notable persons from gambling advertising from 1 January 2027.
- A notable person includes current or former professional players, celebrities and social media influencers.
- Restrictions cover broadcast TV, radio, news sites, online gaming and social media, with a limited exception for horse racing advertising.
- The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 added complementary measures such as limiting TV ads to three per hour between 05:00 and 20:30.
- The ACMA has recently sanctioned Jamie Mullarkey (warning) and Palmer Bookmaking Pty Ltd (court-enforceable sanction) for related breaches.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) published new guidelines on 19 October that ban the use of notable persons in gambling advertising from 1 January 2027. The rules prohibit any gambling advertising, broadcast or online, from featuring a person considered "notable" and bar contracts that tie operators to those persons' participation in promotional gambling content in Australia.
Definition and scope of the ban
The ACMA classifies as a notable person any current or former "professional player or athlete", any current or former "celebrity" and any current or former "social media influencer." It also includes any "prominent individual" and "a person who is a member of a class of persons determined by the minister." The restrictions apply to all platforms, including broadcast television, radio, news sites, online gaming and social media.
The authority included a clause for cases where a person becomes notable after signing a sponsorship agreement: if a person who appeared in advertising content ceases to be non-notable and becomes notable, that content may no longer be broadcast, transmitted or provided online from the moment the person becomes notable.
Exceptions and operator obligations
An exception is permitted when the participation of the notable person relates solely to betting on horse racing and that advertising is:
transmitted or datacast on a programme or channel dedicated to racing; or
provided on an online content service dedicated to racing.
The ACMA provides that Licenced Internet Wagering Service Providers (LIWSPs) must not "authorise or cause" gambling advertising content that includes a notable person to be broadcast, transmitted or provided online in Australia, even if it may be seen or heard. When considering reasonable timeframes to remove such content the ACMA may assess the likely impact of the ad, including its duration, scale, reach and audience.
Regulatory context and related measures
The 19 October guidelines follow advertising reforms introduced by the government of Anthony Albanese in August 2026 through the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026. That legislation did not impose an absolute ban on all gambling advertising but included measures such as limiting television ads to three per hour between 05:00 and 20:30, phasing out sports sponsorships and introducing an online advertising opt-out. The 2023 Murphy report had recommended a broader ban, a demand not fully adopted into law.
Sanctions and recent enforcement
The ACMA has already applied sanctions in the sector: in July it issued a warning to Australian MMA fighter Jamie Mullarkey for promoting offshore operators on social media. In September the ACMA imposed a court-enforceable sanction on family company Palmer Bookmaking Pty Ltd for self-exclusion breaches after accepting 312 bets from a person listed on the BetStop register.
Australia will align with jurisdictions that already prohibit the appearance of celebrities, athletes and creators in gambling advertising, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and Ontario.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the ban on celebrities in gambling advertising in Australia take effect?
The ban takes effect on 1 January 2027; the ACMA published the new guidelines on 19 October.
What is considered a "notable person" under the ACMA guidelines?
A notable person includes a current or former professional player or athlete, a current or former celebrity, and a current or former social media influencer, as well as a prominent individual or a class of person determined by the minister.
Are there any exceptions for gambling ads featuring notable people?
There is an exception if the participation relates solely to horse racing betting and the advertising is broadcast on a racing-dedicated programme or channel or provided via an online service dedicated to racing.
What obligations do operators have if a person in existing content becomes notable?
LIWSPs must not authorise or cause the continued broadcast or provision in Australia of advertising content that includes a person who becomes notable; the ACMA may consider reasonable timeframes for removal based on the ad's duration, reach and audience.
Tags
About the author
Miguel Sandoval
Regulatory Affairs Correspondent
Miguel Sandoval tracks gambling legislation, licensing, and regulator enforcement — from Spain's DGOJ and the Latin American authorities to the UKGC, the MGA, and the state-by-state map in North America. The reports answer three questions precisely — what changed, where, and who it affects — with jurisdictions, dates, and penalties cited exactly as published. Operators and compliance officers read Miguel Sandoval to know which rulebook moved before their next meeting.
More from Miguel Sandoval
