ACMA warns streaming platform Kayo over gambling ad mishap
Australian comms watchdog clamps down on Kayo after system bug meant customers were hit with in-game ads
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued sports streaming platform Kayo a formal warning for contravening gambling advertising rules.
The watchdog established that Kayo showed gambling ads during the AFL match between Fremantle and Collingwood in May 2022.
The ACMA was alerted to the error after receiving two complaints from the public.
An investigation by the watchdog found the ads were streamed on the Kayo platform within the five minutes before the game started, as well as during scheduled breaks.
This included instances of an ad being shown just two minutes before kick-off, as well as during the quarter- and half-time breaks.
Under Australian regulation, gambling ads must not be streamed during live sport events between 5am and 8.30pm, including the five minutes before and after the event.
Kayo said the gambling ads had been allowed to be shown on the streaming platform due to an “edge case bug” which saw the system fail to identify the AFL game as a live sporting event for some users.
This meant that the impacted users were shown gambling ads, with Kayo estimating that between 5,000 and 7,000 accounts were affected.
Kayo confirmed the two ads were shown a total of 8,971 times to the impacted account holders, as some viewers will have only been served one ad and others more than one.
During the course of the investigation, Kayo implemented live testing and technical improvements to its processes around scheduling advertising.
Going forward, Kayo will have senior management review and sign off on future system changes.
Nerida O’Loughlin, ACMA chair, said: “Streaming services need to comply with the rules in the same way traditional television broadcasters do.
“Gambling advertising during live sport is a major concern for Australians. Families want to watch live sport without needing to worry that children may come to think of gambling as a part of the game,” she added.