ACMA Defines Notable Persons Ahead of Australian Gambling Ad Ban

^{ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin. The regulator has published initial guidance on the ban on notable people in gambling advertising, which starts on 1 January 2027. (Photo: ITU Pictures / Wikimedia Commons)}

Australia’s media regulator has set out how it will read the incoming ban on athletes, celebrities and influencers in gambling advertising. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) published initial guidance on 19 October, giving operators, broadcasters and publishers less than three months before the rules take effect on 1 January 2027.

The notable persons provision sits inside the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026, which Parliament enacted on 26 August. It follows a cross-party push over betting inducements during the bill’s passage, and adds a new Part 7C to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 covering wagering advertising on broadcast, radio and online platforms, as well as sporting uniforms and venues.

Who Counts as a Notable Person

Under the law, a notable person includes a current or former professional sports player or athlete, a current or former celebrity, a current or former social media influencer, and a current or former prominent individual. The Minister for Communications can add further classes of people by determination, so the list can grow.

ACMA’s guidance describes the definition as purposefully broad. It is not limited to figures who appeal to children, the regulator says, because notable people also appeal to people at risk of gambling harm and to growing segments of the online wagering market, such as younger men. The guidance includes examples of people who may fall inside and outside the definition.

Responsibility sits with the operator rather than the person in the ad. Licensed interactive wagering service providers (LIWSPs) cannot make contracts or arrangements involving a notable person promoting wagering content in Australia, and cannot authorise or cause such content to be broadcast or published online. Any enforcement action and penalties would fall on the LIWSP.

Where the Ban Applies

The rules apply on all platforms, ACMA said in its announcement, including broadcast television, radio, news websites, online games and social media. The guidance also sets out the factors the regulator may weigh when assessing alleged breaches, and the exceptions, including for dedicated racing services, channels and programs. ACMA may issue formal guidance later.

Industry concern about the breadth of the definition predates the guidance. At a Senate inquiry hearing on 4 August, Sportsbet warned that ‘anyone with an Instagram account’ could be caught by the draft definition, according to iGaming Business. Sportsbet, TAB and Responsible Wagering Australia still told the inquiry they supported the Government’s overall package. The regulator has not narrowed the definition.

For operators, the task now is contract review. The definition covers former figures as well as current ones, so retired players and past influencers are caught, and iGB noted that a person’s status can change, meaning an ad may need to come down if someone in it later becomes notable. The rule follows an earlier climbdown on a blanket advertising ban that drew criticism.

The notable persons ban starts on 1 January 2027 alongside the rest of the reform package, which also restricts wagering advertising during live sport and in sports venues. ACMA is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with it.