Australia’s opposition party pledges gambling ad ban during live sports broadcasts
Peter Dutton’s Coalition Party has listed the advertising restriction as a priority in the group's manifesto ahead of 3 May election
Australia’s Liberal-National Coalition Party has included a ban on gambling ads during live sports broadcasts as one of its priorities in its election manifesto.
Last week, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in parliament that the country’s next federal election will take place on 3 May 2025.
The opposition party, led by Peter Dutton, has since set out its goals to help “get Australia back on track” if elected.
The party stated in its manifesto, titled ‘The Priorities of a Dutton Coalition Government’, that it will ban all gambling advertising during the broadcasting of live sport.
In addition to several other initiatives, banning gambling ads is deemed by the Coalition Party as a measure to “build strong and sustainable communities for all Australians”.
Currently, Australia’s Commercial Television Code of Practice prohibits gambling ads from being shown during broadcasts of live sporting events between 5am and 8.30pm, including the five minutes before and after the event.
In February, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found TV network Network 10 to have breached these regulations during a broadcast of Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix practice round in March last year.
Back in 2023, late Labor MP Peta Murphy released a 197-page report containing 31 recommendations, one of which was a blanket ban on gambling advertising throughout Australia.
Murphy’s proposal suggested banning gambling ads across television, radio, newspapers and online, phased in over a three-year period.
The Albanese government instead favoured the introduction of a cap system for gambling ads over an outright blanket ban, in a move roundly critisised by lobbyists across the country.
The cap system looked to limit gambling adverts to two per hour on each TV channel until 10pm, in addition to a total ban one hour before and after all live sport.
Last week, gambling-related harm advocacy group Alliance for Gambling Reform announced its intention to support electoral candidates pushing for changes to gambling regulations in Australia.
The group stated that potential candidates would have to publicly back the recommendations set out in Murphy’s report.
Alliance for Gambling Reform has previously been critical of the government’s inaction over gambling ad changes, despite introducing a social media ban for under-16s within six weeks.
According to YouGov’s latest projections, Australia is set to enter a hung parliament, with the Labor government short of a majority by one seat.