The most recent Freshwater Strategy poll shows Australians’ attitude to a topic sparking heated debate. A sample of 1,061 voters was asked whether they enjoyed watching sports betting advertisements. According to the research, conducted between 16-18 August 2024, 85% of all adults did not favour gambling advertising, as opposed to 15% who did.
Of those who place wagers on sports regularly, 58% said they enjoyed watching ads. As for those who bet on sport occasionally, 32% answered affirmatively. Just 11% of the Individuals who used to place wagers, but not anymore responded positively. An overwhelming majority of adults (97%) who have never engaged in sports betting responded they did not fancy the ads.
The vast majority of current and past sports betting fans (72%) said they would favour less restrictive limitations on ads, providing middle-ground solutions. Some 35% opted for restricting gambling-related content to periods outside children’s programming.
Responsible Wagering Australia Shares Opinion on Potential Full Gambling Advertising Ban
AdNews Australia has presented the perspective of Kai Cantwell on the aforementioned subject. The CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia said that Australians would favor a partial advertising ban, one with sensible restrictions over a complete prohibition on gambling advertisements. The organization’s members include Australia’s leading wagering service providers – bet365, Betfair, Entain, PointsBet, Sportsbet and Unibet.
Cantwell further commented that the Australian government should take into consideration the feedback from all impacted industries. He explained that sports betting and horse racing organizations and licensed gambling operators have reached an agreement that a compromise solution would “address the concerns of the Australian public, without undermining harm reduction efforts.”
The CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia explained that a blanket ban on advertising would be “a missed opportunity”. With the help of advanced online technologies, gambling ads can be visible to logged-in users only, who have verified they are above 18 years old and have the option to opt out of receiving such ads. This solution would safeguard children and vulnerable individuals from exposure to gambling advertising content, without compromising the interests of the industry.
A Complete Advertising Ban Will Impact Vulnerable Groups and the Economy, According to Kai Cantwell
Instead of reducing the number of Australians who gamble, a complete advertising ban would direct them to unlicensed providers of gambling services, Mr Cantwell said. Offshore providers would attract Australian customers with bonuses and incentives without commitment to pay out winnings or providing adequate customer protections.
“International evidence shows that when you over-regulate legal markets, illegal operators will fill the void, targeting children and vulnerable people with predatory advertising,” Mr Cantwell added.
Apart from the increased exposure of children and vulnerable individuals to gambling, the CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia did not miss to dwell on the financial consequences of a full advertising ban. According to him, the economy would lose billions of dollars annually “that could otherwise be reinvested into essential services like health, education, and community infrastructure that Australians rely on.”
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Daniel Williams
