Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026

Ms WELLS (Lilley—Minister for Sport and Minister for Communications) (17:17): I thank the member for Warringah for moving this amendment. The government will not support these amendments. The government has heard the concerns raised at the Senate inquiry, related to the harms of inducements, and we are committed to protecting vulnerable people from gambling related harm.

The government has moved an amendment to the gambling reform bill to prohibit wagering service providers from providing, offering or arranging any commissions to staff or any third party involved in the referral or provision of online gambling to an individual based on customer activity. This will remove incentives for employees and affiliates of wagering companies to keep their customers gambling.

In relation to proposed amendments to establish a national regulator, the government has a longstanding, shared responsibility for the regulation of gambling with the states and territories. We will continue to work constructively with jurisdictions to address harms from online gambling. The gambling reform bill specifies that an opt-out for wagering advertising must be clear, simple, prominent, effective and easily accessible.

Online platforms must also display information about the means to opt-out in a way that is prominent to individuals using that service. The amended bill has further strengthened this requirement by providing the ACMA powers to direct online content service providers to comply with the existing requirements in the bill to provide or display information about how individuals may opt-out of receiving wagering advertising.

The ACMA may also issue written direction where they are not satisfied that an online content service provider is complying with opt-out prominence requirements. They may then issue a penalty where a provider has not complied with the written direction within 30 days.