Key points
- ACMA published initial guidance on 19 October 2026 for Australia’s notable persons ad ban.
- From 1 January 2027, wagering ads cannot feature a notable person and operators cannot sign deals involving one.
- The ban covers broadcast television, radio, news websites, online games and social media.
- Liability sits with the licensed operator, not the person in the ad.
- Dedicated racing content is exempt; venue and uniform rules are grandfathered to 31 December 2031.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) published initial guidance on 19 October 2026 for the notable persons ad ban in Australian gambling advertising, which starts on 1 January 2027. From that date, wagering ads cannot feature a current or former athlete, celebrity, influencer or prominent individual, and licensed operators cannot contract with them.
What the notable persons ad ban covers
The rules sit in Part 7C of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, inserted by the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026, which the guidance says Parliament enacted on 26 August 2026. Section 62W bars licensed interactive wagering service providers (LIWSPs) from making contracts or arrangements, or reaching an understanding, that involves a notable person promoting wagering advertising content.
The Act defines a notable person as a current or former professional sports player or athlete, celebrity, social media influencer or prominent individual, plus anyone in a class the Minister for Communications determines. According to ACMA’s announcement, the rules apply across broadcast television, radio, news websites, online games and social media.
ACMA calls the definition “purposefully broad”. The guidance says it reaches beyond people who appeal to children, because notable people are also likely to appeal to individuals at risk of gambling harm and to growing segments of the online wagering market, such as younger men.
Operators carry the liability
An LIWSP also contravenes subsection 62W(2) if it authorises or causes wagering ads featuring a notable person to be broadcast or provided online in Australia. The guidance says that covers content placed by someone acting for the operator, such as an advertising agency.
“The obligations to prevent the use of notable people in wagering advertising content rest with the LIWSP, not the notable person.”
ACMA, Guidance on notable persons in wagering advertising content, October 2026
Enforcement action and penalties for breaches would therefore fall on the operator. ACMA already polices ad rules: it found that SBS breached gambling ad rules during the Tour de France, and it put Entain into an 18-month remediation over BetStop failures.
How ACMA will judge who is notable
The 15-page guidance lists the facts ACMA may weigh when it assesses a possible breach: public recognition (a household name, or prominence within a specific community or demographic), frequency of media exposure, professional achievements such as awards and prizes, and ability to influence the decisions of others. ACMA says the list is a guide, not exhaustive.
Its examples show where the line falls. A cricketer who retired more than 10 years ago but still appears in media and sports brand campaigns would likely be notable. A player who spent a short time in a national competition 25 years ago and has no public profile would be unlikely to qualify. A well-known breakfast radio presenter would likely count as a celebrity; an actor who has only been an extra would not.
Contracts that run past the start date
The Act allows an operator to sign someone who is not notable at the time but could become so. If that person later becomes notable, the ad can no longer be broadcast or provided online from that point, ACMA says. An operator that fails to take all reasonably available steps to withdraw the content after that point may breach the “authorise or cause” provision.
When setting reasonable phase-out periods, ACMA may consider an ad’s length, scope, scale and reach, with further guidance possible under section 62ZF.
Racing exemption and what comes next
Content that relates solely or principally to racing is exempt only if it also runs on a dedicated racing program, channel or online service. ACMA cites racing.com on Foxtel channel 519 and Melbourne Cup coverage as examples. An Olympian appearing in a program that also covers NRL and AFL would not qualify, the guidance says.
A separate ban on wagering ads on uniforms and at venues for live sporting events (section 62V) is grandfathered for contracts entered before 2 July 2026. That transitional arrangement runs until 31 December 2031, according to the guidance, and ACMA is considering publishing a list of grandfathered deals.
ACMA says it will publish compliance alerts and investigation reports after the provisions commence, and may issue formal guidance later. The notable persons ad ban takes effect on 1 January 2027.
