Gambling advertising is now a prominent and persistent feature of Australian sport across television, online platforms, and in-stadium promotion. A substantial body of peer-reviewed and government-commissioned research has examined its scale, its reach — particularly among children — and its role in shaping attitudes toward gambling.
Across this literature, three findings are consistently reported.
Research commissioned by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation has found that many Australian children can recall and recognise gambling brands by primary-school age. Studies of young people aged 8–16 have also reported that a large proportion perceive gambling as a normal or expected part of watching sport, particularly in codes such as AFL and NRL. (Note: VRGF ceased operating from 1 July 2024 and its functions transferred to other parts of the Victorian government. The site is no longer being updated but remains live and continues to host useful research.)
These studies further indicate that children are especially likely to recall advertising that uses humour, animation, or well-known personalities — creative strategies that are widely used in sports betting promotion.
Advocacy organisations have drawn on this evidence to illustrate the cumulative effect of exposure. As the Alliance for Gambling Reform has put it:
This statement is rhetorical rather than a literal measurement, but reflects concerns in the literature about the normalisation of gambling within the sporting environment.
Analyses of Australian media markets have documented a substantial increase in gambling advertising over the past decade. Industry and regulatory data indicate that gambling advertising expenditure rose from approximately AUD $89.7 million in 2011 to $273.2 million in 2018, reflecting rapid growth in online wagering and competition among operators.
Content analyses of broadcast schedules have found that viewers may be exposed to large numbers of gambling advertisements across a typical day, particularly around sport and racing coverage.
Regulatory changes have had mixed effects. For example, restrictions introduced in 2018 to limit gambling advertising during live sport broadcasts (the “whistle-to-whistle” ban) reduced exposure during those specific windows. However, some studies have found that overall advertising volume was not proportionally reduced, with advertisers shifting placements to other times of day and to digital platforms.
National polling commissioned by the Alliance for Gambling Reform and other organisations has consistently found high levels of public concern about gambling advertising, particularly in relation to children.
Across multiple surveys:
While results vary depending on question wording and methodology, the overall pattern indicates broad community support for reducing exposure, especially in sport and during times when children are likely to be watching.
In 2023, the Parliament of Australia House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs released its report, You win some, you lose more, examining the impacts of online gambling.
The committee's central recommendation on advertising was a phased, near-total ban on online gambling advertising over three years. This would begin with the most pervasive and high-risk forms of promotion and extend to a comprehensive prohibition.
Subsequent policy proposals by the Australian Government have taken a more incremental approach, including caps on advertising volume, expanded time-based restrictions, and limits on the use of celebrity endorsements. Some stakeholders, including the inquiry chair and public health advocates, have argued that these measures are unlikely to reduce overall exposure to the extent recommended by the committee.
The proposed reforms represent a significant shift in regulation and should be implemented in full. However, important gaps remain.
Current measures do not comprehensively address:
For these reasons, the model proposed in the 2023 parliamentary inquiry — a phased move toward a near-total ban on gambling advertising — remains a benchmark for further reform.