Researchers, lawmakers call for tighter regulations on Australia’s gambling ad ban

Ziv Chen

13 April 2026 at 7:37am UTC-4

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Gambling researchers and crossbench politicians have called for Australia’s proposed partial ban on gambling advertising to be tightened, warning the framework contains loopholes that the wagering industry could exploit.

According to The Guardian, the concerns centered on how the rules would apply to podcasts, social media influencers, and streaming platforms.

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Deakin University gambling and public health researcher Simone McCarthy said embedded podcast ad reads, delivered by hosts rather than inserted separately, could not be switched off by platforms, making age-gating ineffective.

“We just know that podcasts are hugely popular with younger audiences and they’re not easy to regulate in terms of age access and age-gating that the government hopes to do,” McCarthy told The Guardian.

The government’s proposal included a “triple lock” mechanism requiring streaming video, music, and podcast platforms, search engines, and sports websites to verify users’ ages and to allow them to opt out of wagering content. Independent Senator David Pocock told The Guardian protecting Australians from wagering ads on platforms ranging from podcasts to YouTube appeared “almost unworkable” under the current design.

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Independent MP Kate Chaney told The Guardian that the opt-out model placed an unreasonable burden on families, noting that most households share streaming accounts and that parents would have to manually activate opt-out settings across every platform.

A Communications Minister spokesperson told The Guardian the legislation would include more specific definitions to close potential loopholes, with details to be refined during the drafting process in consultation with key stakeholders.

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The Backstory

Why Australia’s ad debate is colliding with the internet’s gray zones

Australia’s push to curb gambling advertising has run into a familiar problem: the fastest-growing ad channels are also the hardest to police. The policy focus has shifted from televised spots to creator-led podcast reads, influencer integrations and algorithmic placements on streaming and social platforms. Researchers and independents argue those pipes let wagering brands reach younger audiences in ways traditional age gates cannot catch. The practical challenge is enforcement across diffuse platforms with different sign-in rules and opt-out settings. The political challenge is building a scheme that balances public health protections with a digital economy that thrives on personalized ads and cross-platform identity.

That tension mirrors a broader, global pattern. As governments tighten conventional ad rules, operators and affiliates pivot to performance marketing, sponsorships and creator content. Policymakers then try to close gaps with broader definitions, clearer duty-of-care standards for platforms and stricter identity checks. The debate now is less about whether to regulate and more about how to synchronize rules across media types and borders before harm spreads.

Youth exposure has become the flashpoint

Public health advocates often anchor the case for tighter controls in youth risk data. In Canada, experts have warned that a boom in online sportsbooks is drawing teenagers, particularly boys, into app-based wagering and microbets that feel like gaming. Inside one campus snapshot, students told reporters they had bet hundreds of dollars, with one saying he lost CA$2,000, and frontline counselors reported a rise in families seeking help for teens. That warning shot was captured in our coverage of industry experts who say sports betting is pulling teenagers into gambling, which linked mounting exposure to a mix of celebrity endorsements and always-on access.

For broader context, Global News detailed the same trend, underscoring calls for stronger guardrails around advertising and access and the need to treat youth gambling as a public health issue. That report on a surge in teens seeking help for gambling frames the stakes for regulators: ads and app design that normalize betting can influence behavior before age checks kick in. Australia’s proposal to rely on opt-outs and age verification across streaming and search echoes that policy dilemma. If verification fails in creator environments or shared-household logins, exposure persists where harm is most acute.

Regulators abroad are tightening the operational screws

Some jurisdictions are complementing ad rules with identity and compliance upgrades that aim to reduce risk at the account level. In the Philippines, the national regulator pledged tougher standards across online gambling, including exploring an all-hours broadcast ad ban and stronger know-your-customer checks. Operators must verify identities before deposits with government-issued IDs and live selfies, and authorities are coordinating with the ad standards body to police promotions on social media. Our report on PAGCOR tightening regulations for the online sector details how regulators are pairing marketing curbs with safer gaming tools such as a 24/7 helpline, self-exclusion and accredited treatment networks.

These operational measures matter for Australia because they address the problem upstream. If identities are verified early and consistently, and if operators face clear liability for promotions delivered through affiliates or creators, then ad restrictions can be more than a game of platform whack-a-mole. The Philippines also illustrates how regulators can pressure adjacent industries, such as ad networks and social platforms, to remove illegal or noncompliant content, setting a precedent for shared responsibility models.

U.S. stakeholders hint at a federal backstop

In the United States, the industry’s rapid expansion has fueled calls for federal tools that fill gaps left by state-by-state rules. Panelists at a recent policy webinar argued for national responsible gaming measures that can keep pace with weekly product rollouts. A priority was a countrywide digital self-exclusion list to replace fragmented state systems, which let excluded players cross borders and resume betting. While industry voices opposed federal ad and licensing oversight, they agreed Congress and the Justice Department should set rules for new forms of igaming not covered by states. See our coverage of stakeholders urging stronger U.S. federal responsible gaming action.

The U.S. discussion offers a parallel for Australia: national frameworks that target harm reduction without centralizing every advertising decision. A federal or nationwide self-exclusion layer, uniform age verification standards and shared data protocols could make platform-by-platform ad controls less brittle. It also reflects a political compromise likely to surface in Canberra—stronger national safety nets, limited centralization on commercial levers, and tighter definitions for emerging ad formats.

Payments and platform accountability define enforcement

Curbing exposure is only half the battle. Cutting off money flows to illegal or unlicensed operators can reset incentives and shrink the shadow market that often floods social media with aggressive, influencer-driven promos. Brazil is moving on that front with a new ordinance that bars payment providers from maintaining accounts for unlicensed betting firms and requires real-time reporting of suspicious transactions tied to unauthorized gambling within 24 hours. The rule, tied to the country’s new online gambling law, compels processors to detect and disrupt unlicensed activity. Our story on Brazil shoring up regulations to prevent illegal gambling payments shows how financial plumbing can be a frontline regulator.

Indonesia has taken a platform-first approach, escalating takedowns of online gambling content and signaling a new government regulation to harden enforcement. Authorities reported blocking tens of thousands of ads within days and removing hundreds of thousands of pieces of related content across websites and major social media platforms. The government says transactional data shows a decline in online gambling over the past year, a sign that broad, persistent pressure on distribution channels can move the needle. Read our piece on the Indonesian president pushing for firmer online gambling regulations.

What to watch next: definitions, data and duty of care

Australia’s next draft will likely hinge on precise definitions for what qualifies as an ad across podcasts, livestreams and creator content, and on who bears responsibility when targeting tools fail. Policymakers elsewhere are converging on three levers: stronger identity verification before deposits or exposure, interoperable self-exclusion systems and financial controls that starve unlicensed operators. Cross-border experience also suggests regulators will push platforms and payment providers to share more data on ad delivery and suspicious activity, with faster reporting timelines and clearer penalties.

Youth risk data from Canada, payments enforcement in Brazil, operational KYC in the Philippines and federal guardrail debates in the United States all point to the same conclusion. Effective gambling ad reform is not a single ban but a network of rules that make harmful messages harder to deliver, risky accounts harder to create and illegal money flows harder to hide. As Australia refines its proposal, the question is whether the final package knits those elements together in a way that survives the internet’s workarounds and protects the audiences most at risk.