ACMA issues formal warning to streaming service over gambling ad breaches
Network Ten-owned 10 Play was judged to have aired ads on its platform during Australia’s black out 5am to 8.30pm window last October
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a formal warning to streaming service 10 Play following breaches of the country’s rules for gambling adverts by online content providers.
Under existing regulations, gambling ads are prohibited from being shown by content providers between 5am and 8.30pm, including in the five minutes before and after a sporting event.
The breaches in question concern the A-League Women’s match between Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets on 14 October 2023, as well as the men’s national team’s friendly against England at Wembley.
The Socceroos’ match was shown early in the morning and the women’s game was streamed later that afternoon when restrictions were in place, with gambling ads featuring during both streams.
ACMA confirmed that ads for three different operators were aired across the streams, totalling 17 different ads.
The regulator added that the 17 commercials resulted in a total of 60,110 impressions during the broadcasts.
Overall, it was deemed that 10 Play contravened the online rules framework 133 times, with the 17 ads shown multiple times during the broadcasts.
10 Play, which is owned by Network Ten, said the breach occurred due to an error in its manual coding process, which it has since worked to fix to provide improved automation around gambling ad scheduling.
As per the ACMA’s report, Network Ten said: “Due to human error, regrettably, there were gambling advertisements shown during live coverage of the match after the scheduled start of play to a number of end users.
“As ads are triggered by individual end users, these gambling ads were delivered at various times, depending on when end users commenced the live stream.”
ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said that despite 10 Play cooperating with the regulator during its investigation, the platform should work harder to make sure its ads comply with legislation.
“These rules are in place to minimise potential harm caused by gambling promotional content streaming services are expected to have systems in place to provide their ads in line with the law,” she said.
“This is the first time Ten [sic.] has breached the rules around gambling advertising in live sports and it has co-operated with us throughout our investigation.”
In June, ACMA reprimanded streaming service Kayo after airing 16 different gambling ads outside of the designated window.
Australia’s Labour government has come under recent scrutiny over its decision to introduce a cap system on gambling ads in the country, going back on initial proposals to implement a blanket ban.
Although former prime ministers and the Australian Medical Association threw their support behind a total embargo, Labor MP Bill Shorten claimed that such a measure would seriously jeopardise the future of free-to-air TV in the country.