Labor pledges opt-out register for online gambling ads as Pocock calls out shortfalls in government’s bill
Guardian AU
•Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:10:05 GMT
📰 What Happened
The Labor government has pledged a new single-service opt-out register for gambling ads, modelled on the Do Not Call register, as part of amendments to its wagering advertising bill. Communications minister Anika Wells also confirmed a new levy on gambling companies to fund the register and restrictions on inducements and commissions.
🔍 The Backstory
The measure follows concerns raised through a Senate inquiry that people would struggle to find and complete individual opt-out options on each online service. It falls short of calls for an opt-in model or an outright ban that some Labor and Liberal MPs advocated. Coalition, Greens and independent David Pocock criticised the bill’s “deficiencies” in a scathing Senate inquiry report.
🎯 Why It Matters
Gambling ad reform is one of the most contested pieces of policy in Australian politics, touching public-health and problem-gambling concerns. The compromise approach could shape how online gambling advertising is regulated for years.
The Labor government has pledged a new single-service opt-out register for gambling ads, modelled on the Do Not Call register, as part of amendments to its wagering advertising bill. Communications minister Anika Wells also confirmed a new levy on gambling companies to fund the register and restrictions on inducements and commissions.
The measure follows concerns raised through a Senate inquiry that people would struggle to find and complete individual opt-out options on each online service. It falls short of calls for an opt-in model or an outright ban that some Labor and Liberal MPs advocated. Coalition, Greens and independent David Pocock criticised the bill’s “deficiencies” in a scathing Senate inquiry report.
Gambling ad reform is one of the most contested pieces of policy in Australian politics, touching public-health and problem-gambling concerns. The compromise approach could shape how online gambling advertising is regulated for years.