ACMA issues first guidance on Australia’s ban on notable people in gambling ads
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has published initial industry guidance on the “notable persons” provision of the country’s new gambling advertising rules, giving operators, broadcasters and publishers less than three months to prepare.
From 1 January 2027, gambling advertising must not feature a notable person, whether it is broadcast or provided online. From the same date, licensed interactive wagering service providers will be barred from entering into contracts or arrangements for the sponsorship, participation or involvement of a notable person in promoting wagering advertising content in Australia.
The rules will apply across all platforms, including broadcast television, radio, news websites, online games and social media.
Who counts as a notable person?
Under the legislation, a notable person is defined as a current or former professional sports player or athlete, a current or former celebrity, a current or former social media influencer, or a current or former prominent individual. The minister can also extend the definition to any other class of persons by determination.
Because the definition covers former as well as current figures, the ban includes retired sports stars and past influencers. Those groups have long been staples of wagering marketing in Australia.
The ACMA’s guidance explains how the definition applies and gives examples of people who may fall inside and outside its scope. It also sets out the considerations the regulator may use when assessing alleged breaches and how the prohibition will work in practice, including the subsection on causing or authorising gambling advertisements. That point matters for affiliates, agencies and media partners as well as operators. The guidance also covers the relevant exceptions, including those for dedicated racing services, channels and programmes.
The ACMA said it may issue formal guidance on the provision at a later date if required.
Guidance follows criticism at Senate inquiry
The guidance follows concerns raised at the Senate inquiry into the bill. At a hearing on 4 August 2026, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young clashed with the ACMA over the notable person provision, and Sportsbet warned that “anyone with an Instagram account” could be caught by the draft definition. More broadly, Sportsbet, TAB and Responsible Wagering Australia told the inquiry they supported the government’s overall package, while warning that going further, to a complete advertising ban, would drive punters to illegal offshore operators.
The regulator has not narrowed the definition. According to ASGAM’s report of 19 October 2026, the 11-page guidance calls it deliberately broad, designed to capture anyone a wagering provider might use to encourage gambling through association. Responsibility for compliance rests with the licensed operator, not the notable person. Because a person’s status can change over time, operators may have to withdraw an ad if someone in it later becomes notable.
Part of a wider reform package
The notable persons ban is one element of the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) – Bill 2026 – which passed parliament on 19 August 2026. Alongside the ban, the legislation restricts wagering advertising more broadly, including a ban during live sport and in sports venues. It also prohibits the direct marketing of inducements to at-risk customers, strengthens enforcement against illegal gambling services and BetStop – the national self-exclusion register – and targets harmful and emerging online lottery products.
All the measures commence on 1 January 2027. The ACMA is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance, including issuing guidance to industry.
Two companion bills passed on the same day: the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026 and the Interactive Gambling (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2026. They allow the government to recover the costs of promoting BetStop from wagering companies, enforcing the new inducement restrictions and developing a wagering advertising opt-out register.
With the commencement date now fixed, attention is turning to compliance. Operators that have built marketing around sporting ambassadors and influencer partnerships will need to review existing contracts and creative work before the new year.