Announcement date
2 April 2026
Link to announcement
https://www.pm.gov.au/media/strong-action-tackle-gambling-harms
Problem being addressed
Gambling related harm is a significant public health concern. Australians lose over $32 billion on legal forms of gambling each year, representing the largest per capita losses in the world (around $1,500) according to the Queensland Treasury’s Australian Gambling Statistics 39th edition. The potential for harm has increased with the proliferation of online wagering sites and betting apps, which have fundamentally changed the way that people gamble.
On 28 June 2023, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs released its final report from the Inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm. The Committee made recommendations around consistent national consumer protections, online gambling regulation, research and data, illegal offshore gambling, simulated gambling games, as well as recommendations that seek increased restrictions for wagering advertising.
Proposal
The Impact Analysis (IA) considers a range of options for restrictions on wagering advertising. The IA provides analysis of 3 potential policy options:
- Option 1: maintain the status quo
- Option 2 (preferred): legislative reform to introduce a comprehensive package of reforms and provide the ACMA with adequate enforcement powers
- Option 3: legislative reform to introduce a full ban on all wagering advertising and provide the ACMA with adequate enforcement powers.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts considers that Option 2 achieves an appropriate balance between meeting the stated policy objectives without unduly impacting the sustainability of the affected sectors. The recommended option is estimated to achieve a net benefit of $107.1 million per annum.
Assessed Impact Analysis outcome
Adequate
Assessment comments
The quality of the analysis in the IA is Adequate. To be considered Good Practice as per the Australian Government Guide to Policy Impact Analysis, the IA would have benefitted from further analysis of the likely impacts, further discussion of the Australian Gambling Research Centre analysis, and a more detailed evaluation plan.
Regulatory burden
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts estimates the preferred option will increase average regulatory burden by $2.4 million per year, over ten years.