TLDR Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill will go to the House of Representatives next week. The bill builds on gambling ad reforms first announced in April 2026. TV gambling ads will be capped at three per hour between 6:00 am and 8:30 pm. Gambling ads will be banned entirely during live sport broadcasts. A Senate inquiry heard claims that some gambling firms offered drugs and sex workers to high-value customers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed new gambling laws will reach the House of Representatives next week. He called the bill the strongest anti-gambling regulation Australia has ever introduced.
The legislation builds on reforms first announced in April 2026. Those earlier changes focused mainly on advertising rules but were criticized by opposition parties for not going far enough.
Labor holds a majority in the House, so the bill is expected to pass that first vote easily. The Senate is a different story, since Labor does not control it outright.
Albanese told his party’s Caucus that he recently met with opposition leader Angus Taylor. The two discussed sticking points in the bill, suggesting some compromise may be needed to get it through the Senate.
New Rules on Gambling Inducements
Under the Gaming and Wagering Commission Act of 1987, gambling companies cannot offer extra perks to lure in new customers. This is known as an inducement.
Operators who break this rule by offering rewards to open accounts or refer friends can face fines of 1,000 Australian dollars. However, the law carries one exception.
Direct messages sent to customers who already opted in are treated differently under current rules. Because they are not counted as public advertisements, these private messages can include offers that would otherwise be banned.
Advertising Changes and Limits
The new bill