TLDR
- Australia’s 2026-27 budget includes AU$112.7 million (US$73.3 million) over five years to reduce online gambling harms
- AU$39 million will go toward expanding financial counselling for individuals and families affected by gambling
- The national self-exclusion register BetStop will receive AU$28.7 million for upgrades and awareness campaigns
- Part of the funding comes from an increased levy on licensed gambling operators
- New gambling advertising bans during live sports broadcasts take effect in January 2027
Australia’s federal government has committed AU$112.7 million over five years to address online gambling harms, according to the country’s 2026-27 budget papers released on Tuesday.
The package, titled “Addressing Online Gambling Harms,” is backed by the Department of Social Services, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Ongoing funding is estimated at AU$18.1 million per year beyond the initial five-year term.
The funding is split across four main areas. Financial counselling services will receive AU$39 million over four years, transitioning to AU$10 million annually after that.
BetStop and Self-Exclusion Register Get a Major Upgrade
Australia’s national self-exclusion register, BetStop, will receive AU$28.7 million over four years. An additional AU$3.2 million per year will follow beyond that period.
The money is earmarked for expanding public awareness of the register, improving data-matching systems, and making the platform easier to use. BetStop requires licensed Australian bookmakers to cross-check and honour self-exclusion requests.
Another AU$22.6 million over five years is being directed toward enforcing wagering advertising reforms. This funding will also target illegal gambling services and protect consumers from harmful online lottery products.
A national public awareness campaign will receive AU$22.4 million over three years starting in the 2026-27 fiscal year. The campaign aims to encourage people affected by gambling harm to seek support.
Part of the funding comes from within existing departmental budgets. The remainder will be financed by increasing the levy charged to licensed operators who provide access to the National Self-Exclusion Register.
The ACMA implemented the levy in 2019 under the National Self-exclusion Register Cost Recovery Levy Bill. The levy percentage rose from 30% for the 2023 financial year to 35% for 2024 and 2025.
The exact new percentage has not been disclosed. However, previous ACMA documents forecast the cost of operating the platform in 2026-27 at AU$6.12 million, roughly a 15% increase from the prior period.
ACMA receipts from the levy are projected at AU$16.9 million in 2027-28, with declining figures in following years. The regulator intends for the self-exclusion register to become cost-neutral in 2026-27.
The Department of Social Services will increase its funding from AU$13.5 million in 2026-27 to AU$21.2 million in 2027-28. The Department of Infrastructure and related portfolios will contribute AU$12.5 million in 2026-27.
Advertising Bans Set to Take Effect in 2027
The budget follows gambling reforms announced a month earlier by the federal government. Those reforms focused on advertising restrictions and cracking down on offshore operators.
The new rules will ban televised gambling advertisements entirely during live sports broadcasts. Radio advertising will be prohibited during key parental time slots.
Gambling ads on digital platforms will also be banned unless users are logged in, verified as over 18, and given the option to opt out. These changes take effect in January 2027.
The reforms conclude years of discussion following the late MP Peta Murphy’s amendment to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Murphy had called for a full ban on gambling advertising alongside 31 other reform recommendations.
The ACMA will provide AU$3.2 million in initial additional funding, plus AU$5.2 million annually from 2026-27 to 2029-30 to support enforcement and platform operations.
Australia’s gambling advertising bans during live sports broadcasts and on digital platforms are scheduled to begin in January 2027.
