Australian communications regulator slaps Foxtel with censure over gambling ad
ACMA found Foxtel broke the rules by showing betting service ad during the live broadcasting of an AFL game
Foxtel, the pay TV and streaming company, has been found guilty of breaching local broadcasting rules.
An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found that Foxtel had violated the subscription broadcast code of practice by promoting a betting service with one of its partners during the live broadcast of an AFL match on Easter Monday afternoon.
The rules state that broadcasters are not allowed to air gambling advertising during or within five minutes of live sports being shown between 5am and 8.30pm.
ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin explained exactly why these rules exist when she said: “These rules are in place to reduce exposure to betting promotions. In particular, parents worry about their children seeing gambling ads, especially those associated with shared family activities like sport.”
“Foxtel is well aware of the rules, and it is disappointing that this betting promotion was allowed to go to air,” O’Loughlin added.
The breach was self-reported by Foxtel following a complaint from a viewer. Foxtel attributed the breach to human error during the live broadcast.
The ruling comes just four days after an appeal by gambling giant Tabcorp to the federal government to impose tougher restrictions on betting advertising during prime time.
Foxtel in turn acted swiftly to the guilty verdict. It provided refresher training to staff about their obligations to betting advertising under the code. In addition, the pay TV company also introduced new controls to avoid a repetition of such an incident where gambling adverts were improperly broadcast.