The Coalition has delivered stronger gambling laws that protect children and vulnerable Australians, crack down on predatory behaviour and illegal gambling ads, while respecting the millions of Australians who gamble responsibly.
Labor’s original bill was flawed and did not get the balance right.
The Coalition made clear we would not support laws that failed to properly protect vulnerable Australians or tackle the growing problem of illegal gambling advertising.
With the passing of the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 in the Senate, the Coalition has secured substantial improvements that put tougher safeguards where they are needed most.
These reforms will give Australians more control over the gambling ads they see, strengthen protections for children, crack down on predatory inducements and target illegal operators flooding social media with gambling advertising.
The Coalition’s amendments include:
- • The establishment of the AdStop register, a one-stop shop where Australians will be able to opt out of all online gambling ads;
- • A ban on predatory inducements targeting high risk (red flagged) customers with a three-month cooling off period for those deregistering with BetStop and a 14-day ban on inducements to new account holders;
- • A ban on the payment of commissions to wagering company staff and affiliates to stop incentives linked to customer activity including gambling losses;
- • Stronger protections for children with an express ban on gambling ads during children’s programming and a 15-minute blackout window before live sport between 5.00am and 8.30pm;
- • A ban on illegal gambling ads which are a scourge on social media and are causing real harm to Australians and the licensed wagering sector; and
- • An independent statutory review in three years to evaluate the effectiveness of these new laws.
These are practical, common-sense reforms.
They put stronger protections around children and Australians at risk of gambling harm, while preserving personal choice and responsibility for the vast majority of Australians who gamble responsibly.
The Coalition has worked constructively to fix Labor’s flawed bill and deliver a stronger, fairer and more workable outcome.