The Australian federal government formally tabled its response to the Peta Murphy gambling advertising report on Tuesday, drawing criticism from independents, the Coalition and reform advocates over both the timing of the release and the limits of the package. Health Minister Mark Butler delivered the response in parliament while much of the press gallery was occupied with budget lock-up coverage.
The Murphy Report, handed down in June 2023 by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, made 31 unanimously supported recommendations including a phased ban on all gambling advertising across broadcast and online media. The formal government response arrived more than 1,000 days after the report was tabled.
What the response contains
The package confirms the partial advertising restrictions Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in early April. From 1 January 2027, television gambling advertising will be capped at three ads per hour between 6am and 8:30pm, with a full ban during live sports broadcasts in that window. Radio gambling advertising will be banned during school drop-off and pick-up periods, between 8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm. Digital platform gambling ads will only be shown to verified users over 18, with mandatory opt-out functionality.
Celebrities and sports players are prohibited from appearing in gambling advertisements. In-stadium signage and gambling branding on player uniforms are banned. The government also confirmed a ban on online “pocket pokies” products including keno-style apps, national criminalisation of match-fixing, tougher enforcement against illegal offshore operators, and an expansion of the BetStop self-exclusion register following its statutory review.
The Murphy Report’s central recommendation, a phased blanket ban on gambling advertising, was not adopted. Nor was the report’s call for a national gambling regulator with consolidated enforcement powers. The decision mirrors broader European debates about how far advertising restrictions should go, with the Dutch regulator KSA recently warning against gambling normalisation as social attitudes shift.
Backlash from crossbench and Coalition
ACT Senator David Pocock said the response was “both cowardly and disrespectful,” calling the choice to release it during budget lock-up an attempt to evade scrutiny and arguing that the document fails to engage with the 31 recommendations individually.
“Tragically, we have a prime minister totally captured by vested interests when it comes to gambling, and we’re seeing no action from them.”
Independent MP Kate Chaney described the reforms as “pathetic” and reiterated her call for a federal regulator with binding fining powers. “The evidence shows that partial ad bans don’t work,” Chaney said, arguing operators will redistribute marketing spend rather than reduce reach.
Opposition finance spokesperson Claire Chandler questioned the release timing on ABC radio Tuesday morning, describing it as “intriguing” and asking whether the government was attempting to limit coverage. Butler rejected the suggestion that the response was being buried, pointing to Albanese’s April address at the National Press Club where the reform package was first outlined.
Entain breach undercuts the timing
The response landed days after an Australian Communications and Media Authority investigation found more than 500 breaches of national self-exclusion rules by Entain Group, the parent of Ladbrokes AU and Neds AU. The investigation, which began in December 2024 following consumer complaints, found Entain opened accounts for BetStop registrants, allowed bets, failed to close existing accounts, and continued sending promotional texts and emails to self-excluded customers.
One Entain account remained open for more than a year after the customer had self-excluded. ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said Entain’s systems failed to identify and link multiple accounts held by the same customer across the Ladbrokes and Neds brands.
“When people register for self-exclusion, there should be no way for them to open new accounts for licensed wagering services in Australia.”
The ACMA accepted an 18-month court-enforceable undertaking requiring an independent compliance review. No infringement notice was issued because that enforcement option was not available in the circumstances. Chaney cited the Entain case as evidence that current oversight arrangements are not equipped to enforce existing rules, let alone the broader reforms planned for 2027. The case extends a pattern of rising compliance costs across regulated markets, where enforcement has moved from one-off fines to structural remediation programmes.
Industry response and operator impact
Responsible Wagering Australia, the industry body representing major licensed operators, criticised the package as developed without consultation. CEO Kai Cantwell described the measures as “draconian” and warned of customer migration to illegal offshore sites. Cantwell also called for operational clarity ahead of the 1 January 2027 start date, citing the cost of compliance changes across wagering, racing, sport, broadcasting and digital platforms.
Enabling legislation is due to be introduced to parliament during the current sitting period. Implementation requires amendments to broadcasting codes, digital platform compliance arrangements, and harmonisation of match-fixing offences across state jurisdictions. Industry observers expect legal challenges from broadcasters and sporting bodies, both of which face revenue disruption from the sponsorship and in-venue advertising bans.
The Australian package follows a pattern visible elsewhere, with operators in some markets adjusting forecasts well before restrictions take effect. Danish sports betting revenue fell 46% ahead of a strict advertising ban, an indicator of the operator-side adjustment Australian bookmakers may face from late 2026.
Australians lost more than $32 billion on legal gambling in 2023/24 according to a Queensland study, the highest per-capita figure of any country. With the legislative draft due in May and the 1 January 2027 start date confirmed, operators have less than eight months to overhaul advertising, sponsorship, identity verification, and self-exclusion systems before the new regime takes effect.
Source: ABC News
