Sponsor speech Supports
Zoe Daniel
Zoe Daniel supports the bill and wants Parliament to ban gambling advertisements outright, arguing that partial measures would fail to protect young people and reduce gambling harm.
Read in Hansard ↗Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements)
Current status
This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Policy area
Transport & communications
What does this bill do?
Australia would ban gambling ads on certain TV and radio services and on streaming services tied to those broadcasters, aiming to stop sport being used to push betting.
Why was it introduced?
Gambling ads around sport became pervasive, and existing restrictions and self-regulation were increasingly ineffective and full of loopholes. This bill responds by banning gambling advertisements on covered broadcast and related streaming services and letting ACMAThe media regulator that would handle complaints and enforcement for banned gambling ads on online services. handle complaints and enforcement.
Broader context
Australia already restricted some gambling promotion, including under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001The existing federal law that already bans some online gambling advertising, which this bill would extend to broadcast and related streaming services., but gambling ads became pervasive around televised sport and existing broadcast rules, ACMAThe media regulator that would handle complaints and enforcement for banned gambling ads on online services. regulation and broadcaster self-regulation were described as increasingly ineffective and full of loopholes. After the Peta Murphy committeeThe parliamentary committee whose 2023 report pushed for tougher gambling ad rules and helped drive this bill.’s 2023 report called for tougher action, Zoe Daniel reintroduced this bill on 19 August 2024 to impose a comprehensive ban across broadcasters and related streaming services, but it lapsed when Parliament was dissolved on 28 March 2025.
Key criticism
No significant public case against this bill is recorded so far, and the available debate material does not show a substantive argument that banning gambling advertising would cause specific harm. The main reservations raised were instead about weaker alternatives, with independent MPs arguing that partial restrictions would fail to protect children and reduce gambling harm.
Who supported it?
Zoe Daniel MP introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from some crossbench members.
Introduced in House 19 Aug 2024
Failed in House 28 Mar 2025
Did not reach Senate —
Did not become law —
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
221 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
What does this bill do?
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Australia would ban gambling ads on certain TV and radio services and on streaming services tied to those broadcasters, aiming to stop sport being used to push betting.
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Commercial TV, subscription TV, satellite TV and subscription radio broadcasters would have to follow the gambling ad ban as a condition of keeping their broadcasting licence.
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Online sport coverage and on-demand program services would also be barred from carrying gambling ads, except for accidental or incidental material with no benefit to the provider.
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The ban would cover almost any ad that promotes gambling, including logos, brand names, website addresses, and other words or symbols closely linked to a betting service.
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People could complain to the Australian Communications and Media AuthorityThe media regulator that would handle complaints and enforcement for banned gambling ads on online services. about banned gambling ads on online services, and the regulator could investigate and take compliance action.
Show source excerpts
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This bill seeks to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the Act) to prohibit the broadcasting of gambling advertisements on certain television and radio broadcasting services; and to prohibit the provision of gambling advertisements on the streaming outlets of certain television and radio services. It seeks to achieve a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising, ending the exploitation of sporting broadcasts to promote gambling services.
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements) explanatory memorandum -
This Item provides that the amendments made by items 11 to 14 of Schedule 8, relating to various broadcast licences, shall apply, on and after the commencement of this item, in relation to a licence regardless of when the licence was allocated. As a consequence, all licences broadcasters will be required to comply with the prohibition on broadcasting gambling advertising, as a condition of their licence as soon as the amendments of this Bill commence (i.e. six months from Royal Assent).
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements) explanatory memorandum -
(1) This section applies to the following kinds of online content service (a relevant online content service):
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements) introduced bill text -
This definition covers all forms of advertisements with the purpose, explicit or implicit, of publicising or promoting gambling, gambling services or related trademarks, domain names or URLs as well as associated words, abbreviations, initials or numbers.
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements) explanatory memorandum -
This item amends subclause 24(1) of Schedule 8 of the Act to allow a person to make a complaint to the ACMA if that person has reason to believe that an online content service provider has contravened the new Clause 13 of the Schedule (prohibiting broadcasting of a gambling advertisement). Subclause 24(2) of the Schedule empowers the ACMA to conduct an investigation into the complaint if it is considered desirable to do so. One of the ACMA’s functions is to monitor compliance with the online content service provider rules. This amendment extends that role to investigation of complaints regarding compliance with the prohibition on broadcasting gambling advertising.
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements) explanatory memorandum
Context
Broader context for this bill
Australia already restricted some gambling promotion, including under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001The existing federal law that already bans some online gambling advertising, which this bill would extend to broadcast and related streaming services., but gambling ads became pervasive around televised sport and existing broadcast rules, ACMAThe media regulator that would handle complaints and enforcement for banned gambling ads on online services. regulation and broadcaster self-regulation were described as increasingly ineffective and full of loopholes. After the Peta Murphy committeeThe parliamentary committee whose 2023 report pushed for tougher gambling ad rules and helped drive this bill.’s 2023 report called for tougher action, Zoe Daniel reintroduced this bill on 19 August 2024 to impose a comprehensive ban across broadcasters and related streaming services, but it lapsed when Parliament was dissolved on 28 March 2025.
- 2001
2001 interactive gambling ad ban
Federal law already prohibited advertising for certain interactive gambling services, which set the baseline this bill sought to extend to broadcast and related streaming services.
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements) explanatory memorandum ↗ - June 2023
Murphy committeeThe parliamentary committee whose 2023 report pushed for tougher gambling ad rules and helped drive this bill. report recommends tighter gambling ad rules
The social policy and legal affairs committee’s report, You win some, you lose more, was delivered 14 months earlier with 31 unanimous recommendations.
Hansard ↗ - 19 Aug 2024
Zoe Daniel reintroduces gambling ad ban bill
Daniel said she was reintroducing the bill because gambling advertising around sport remained pervasive and the government appeared likely to deliver only limited action on the Murphy recommendations.
Hansard ↗ - 19 Aug 2024
Bill introduced to ban gambling ads on broadcast and streaming services
The bill would prohibit gambling advertisements on specified television, radio and associated online services and allow ACMAThe media regulator that would handle complaints and enforcement for banned gambling ads on online services. to handle complaints and enforcement for online breaches.
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements) explanatory memorandum ↗ - 28 Mar 2025
Bill lapses at dissolution
The bill did not pass and lapsed at dissolution, leaving the proposed comprehensive ban unlegislated.
Parliamentary timeline ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Human Rights review 2024
Report 8 of 2024 listed the bill with no comment.
Considered with no comment
Human rights scrutiny report 8 of 2024Scrutiny of Bills review 2024
Scrutiny Digest 11 of 2024 listed the bill among bills on which the committee had no comment.
Considered with no comment
Scrutiny Digest 11 of 2024Introduced 19 Aug 2024
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 19 Aug 2024
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Lapsed at dissolution 28 Mar 2025
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
No significant public case against this bill is recorded so far, and the available debate material does not show a substantive argument that banning gambling advertising would cause specific harm. The main reservations raised were instead about weaker alternatives, with independent MPs arguing that partial restrictions would fail to protect children and reduce gambling harm.
No party represented in the cited debate material opposed the bill.
Votes
Recorded votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
Lead non-major voice Supports
Kate Chaney
Chaney strongly supports the bill and wants the House to pass it, arguing that partial limits have failed and that gambling ads should be banned to reduce harm to children, families and communities.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
Minor parties and independents
2 speakers · 3 contributions · 2 support
Minor parties and independents
2 speakers · 3 contributions · 2 support
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Zoe Daniel ★ 2 contributions Zoe Daniel supports the bill and wants a complete ban on gambling advertising across TV, radio and streaming, arguing that partial restrictions do not work and that the harm to children and young people is too great.
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Zoe Daniel on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Zoe Daniel supports the bill and wants a complete ban on gambling advertising across TV, radio and streaming, arguing that partial restrictions do not work and that the harm to children and young people is too great. She says gambling ads should be treated as a public health issue and urges the House to debate the bill.
“I commend this bill to the House, and I strongly urge the government to listen to the community concern and to recognise the concern across this chamber and to allow this bill to be debated.”
Read this contribution in Hansard ↗Second reading speech
Zoe Daniel supports the bill and wants Parliament to ban gambling advertisements outright, arguing that partial measures would fail to protect young people and reduce gambling harm. She urges the government to let the bill be debated and says communities want stronger action.
“I commend the bill to the House, and I urge the government to allow this bill to be debated. I cede the rest of my time to the member for Curtin.”
Read this contribution in Hansard ↗ -
Kate Chaney ★ Chaney strongly supports the bill and wants the House to pass it, arguing that partial limits have failed and that gambling ads should be banned to reduce harm to children, families and communities.
“It's not too late. The government can still make the right choice, show some backbone and implement a ban on gambling ads, in line with this bill. That's why I commend this bill to the House and second it. I really hope that the government is listening.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Status
- Not Proceeding -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- 19 Aug 2024
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 19 Aug 2024
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
- 28 Mar 2025
House · Lapsed at dissolution
Lapsed at dissolution
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights
Considered with no comment
Report 8 of 2024 listed the bill with no comment.
Human rights scrutiny report 8 of 2024Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills
Considered with no comment
Scrutiny Digest 11 of 2024 listed the bill among bills on which the committee had no comment.
Scrutiny Digest 11 of 2024