The Albanese government is facing renewed calls to crack down on gambling advertising, as critics warn that delays are leaving young Australians exposed to harmful levels of marketing around sport.
Former Tabcorp and ASX chief Elmer Funke Kupper has emerged as one of the strongest voices urging action, following what he calls an ‘invasion’ of betting promotions around last weekend’s AFL Grand Final.
The blockbuster match-up between Geelong and Brisbane was the most watched program of 2025, drawing more than four million viewers nationally, “approximately 750,000” of them, Kupper claims were under the age of 20.
“I was surprised to be confronted with several sports betting ads in the thirty minutes before the centre bounce. I thought that the AFL and the government had dealt with this, and banned gambling advertising close to the games,” Kupper wrote in an op-ed in the Australian Financial Review.
“The government and AFL Commission should reconsider their stance. Implementing stricter gambling advertising controls should be one of the simplest acts of leadership. Let’s not have gambling ads at next year’s AFL Grand Final”.
Kupper makes a very valid point: the discussions around gambling advertising bans have been ongoing for a number of years, with public inquiries, political debate and community concern all pointing in the same direction. Yet despite this, the ads are still running, which begs the question of why, after so much evidence and recommendation, no decisive action has been taken.
Inquiry Findings Ignored?
The federal government has already received a 2023 parliamentary inquiry chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, which recommended sweeping restrictions including a phased ban on online gambling ads.
The report found strong evidence of harm, with Kupper stressing that “children gamble. Around thirty per cent of teenagers aged 12 to 17 have gambled in some form in the previous twelve months,” rising to “forty-six per cent of 18 and 19-year-olds.”
“Children who gamble can get into trouble. Three to four per cent have a problem or are at risk of developing a problem. In 2023, calls to gambling helplines by people under the age of 24 increased by 16 per cent,” he warned.
Despite this, in January 2025 the government pushed off a decision until after the federal election. Since then, Communications Minister Anika Wells has insisted “the work continues, it’s important work. I continue to talk to and engage with stakeholders about how we plot a path through to deliver some important reforms.” She added, “If it was easy to have completed, we’d have completed it already.”
The Commercial Hurdle
So why is the matter stalling? It’s hard to ignore that, at stake is hundreds of millions in ad revenue. Gambling companies pump an estimated $180 million a year into TV advertising, accounting for around six per cent of total free-to-air revenue. For sporting codes, many of which rake in up to $1 billion a year in revenue, the removal of ad dollars from crucial gambling partners could be catastrophic.
Kupper acknowledged those pressures but argued they should not override public health.
“All of this makes me wonder why the government have not acted. It cannot be due to lack of evidence, so there must be something else.
“It could be the influence of the media companies and the sporting codes. They pointed out to the inquiry that the income from gambling and advertising is important to them.
“They may even provide social arguments that seem logical. Furthermore, they may argue that customers will go overseas if gambling is constrained in Australia. I would doubt this very much.
“In any case, it could be controlled easily through the payment systems. The most likely outcome is that Australians will stay with their existing providers.
“The industry may also argue that other forms of gambling do more harm. And they would be right. It’s just not a relevant point for this decision,” said Kupper.
Recent comments suggest that the conversations are still very much on the table. Proposals being discussed reportedly include caps of two ads per hour between 6am and 10pm, complete blackouts during live sport and children’s programs, and buffer zones before and after matches.
A government spokesperson told B&T: “the Albanese Government has undertaken the most significant gambling harm reduction measures in Australian history. We know there is more to do which is why we have been consulting with a wide range of stakeholders. We also have a responsibility to ensure industry acts responsibly.
“Our Government has already made significant reforms to reduce the impact of gambling harm including launching BetStop which at the end of July 2025 had recorded more than 30,000 active exclusions.
“We have also:
• Established mandatory customer ID verification for online wagering
• Banned the use of credit cards for online wagering
• Forced online wagering companies to send their customers monthly activity statements outlining wins and losses
• Introduced new, evidence-based tag lines in wagering advertising
• Provided direct funding for specialist financial counselling to support people affected by problem gambling
• Introduced nationally consistent staff training
• Introduced new minimum classifications for video games with gambling-like content
“Wells has suggested legislation could come before the end of the parliamentary year, though insiders suggest early 2026 is more realistic for implementation”.
Public support remains uncertain, with a B&T commission research report by Bastion last year revealing that only 24.65 per cent of participants feel that a ban on gambling advertising will actually work.
Other polling, as highlighted by Kupper reveals that “more than 80 per cent of Australians support an advertising ban during prime-time hours.”
For now the terms and timeline of changes to gambling remain very much up in the air and with the NRL Grand Final this weekend, you can expect business as usual for the gambling ad industry.
