Australia's Gambling Reform Bill Raises Entry Barriers for Betting Operators

The Australian Labour Party’s annual conference in Adelaide has placed the betting industry under intense scrutiny, as the government proceeds with a reform package that stops short of an outright advertising ban but imposes sweeping new restrictions.

Labor's Gambling Reform Package

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government tabled the Gambling Reform Bill earlier this month, introducing a raft of advertising curbs while holding back on the total prohibition demanded by reform advocates. The bill’s limited scope has drawn criticism from backbench MPs, the Greens, independents, and even some Coalition figures, yet operators face the most significant regulatory overhaul in years.

Jamie Nettleton, a partner at Australian law firm Addisons Lawyers, told SBC’s iGaming Daily podcast that the legislation “is going to have very considerable ramifications in the way in which licensed operators in Australia currently do business.” He noted that expansion driven by market liberalisation, seen earlier in Australia and now in the US, “is going to be closed considerably with very limited amounts of advertising.”

The bill targets four main areas: - Tight controls on advertising, including restrictions on using celebrities and influencers, branding on sports uniforms and venues, and promoting odds in ads. - Stronger enforcement against illegal gambling, imposing new duties on Internet Service Providers and financial institutions. - Enhancements to BetStop, the national self-exclusion service modelled on GamStop. - A complete ban on keno-style lottery games and foreign matched lotteries.

Industry Impact and Consolidation

Reform proponents had hoped for the creation of a dedicated national gambling regulator and a total ad ban, both absent from the bill. Operators, however, may have been relieved that an outright ban was avoided, but the sheer breadth of the restrictions has still caused unease. Nettleton warned that the combination of tighter compliance and limited promotional avenues will reshape the market: “I think the long term result of this … is that there will be greater consolidation, there will be lesser and lesser operators and a much greater barrier to entry for others.”

Political Reactions

The reform debate has intensified following the 2023 Murphy report, which recommended a total advertising ban and a national regulator. Independent Senator and former rugby star David Pocock has accused Labor of “taking donations from gambling companies while not acting on inducements or fully banning gambling ads.”

The Labour conference, running from 23–25 July, provides a stage for internal debate. Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt MP defended the government’s approach, stating: “There’ll be people who’ll say a range of things around these issues, but the government has taken serious action already.” He emphasised that the bill “is the biggest focus and we think it will make a big difference.”