Yes they are. Just not live odds on the game going on.
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Gambling advertisements could be forbidden in Australia within three years, as the Albanese government mulls recommendations of the report following the parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm.
The report**,** written by the House of Representatives standing committee on social policy and legal affairs and tabled on Wednesday, provides 31 recommendations that emerged from the lengthy inquiry this year.
The recommended ban would apply across television, radio, newspapers and online.
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The full report can now be found on Parliament of Australia website.
The committeeâs recommendation on the ban of gambling advertisements
5.148 The Committee recommends the Australian Government, with the cooperation of the states and territories, implement a comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling, to be introduced in four phases, over three years, commencing immediately:
Phase One: prohibition of all online gambling inducements and inducement advertising, and all advertising of online gambling on social media and online platforms. Removal of the exemption for advertising online gambling during news and current affairs broadcasts. Prohibition of advertising online gambling on commercial radio between 8.30-9.00 am and 3.30-4.00pm (school drop off and pick up).
Phase Two: prohibition of all online gambling advertising and commentary on odds, during and an hour either side of a sports broadcast. Prohibition on all in-stadia advertising, including logos on playersâ uniforms.
Phase Three: prohibition of all broadcast online gambling advertising between the hours of 6.00
am and 10.00pm.Phase Four: by the end of year three, prohibition on all online gambling advertising and sponsorship.
5.149 Gambling advertising on dedicated racing channels and programming should be exempt from the ban.
5.150 Small community radio broadcasters should be exempt from further restrictions until December 2025.
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Free TV warns that an extreme approach to advertising restrictions will harm Australian viewers
Free TV today called for a measured response to the recommendations of the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs in their inquiry into online gambling, and warned that gambling advertising bans will undermine the sustainability of commercial television services.
Responding to the Committeeâs recommendations, Bridget Fair, Free TV CEO, said âThe Committeeâs proposed ban is based on a fundamentally flawed premise that the advertising market is some kind of magic pudding. But reductions in advertising revenue in the current economic and competitive environment can only result in less funding for Australian content.
âWhile we appreciate that there are concerns in the community regarding the volume of gambling ads, kneejerk moves to implement outright bans will ultimately hurt viewers and the television services they love.
âThese services are available to every Australian no matter where they live or how much they earn and they are only possible because of advertising revenue.
âCommercial television spends more than $1.5 billion on Australian content every year, providing Australian audiences with more than 25,000 hours of free local trusted news, Australian drama and entertainment, vital coverage of national emergencies and live and free sport year in, year out.
âMany of the sports broadcasting deals have been agreed to beyond the three year phase out period for advertising.
âThe Government has quite rightly said that it will take its time to consider the committeeâs report before responding. Now is the time for a considered response to this important issue.
âOur industry is ready to work constructively with the Government on measures that would reduce the amount of gambling advertising on television and other platforms, while ensuring that the industry can continue to deliver high quality content to all Australians.
âMeasures like frequency caps would be a better and more targeted approach to respond to any community concern around the volume of advertising.
âThis would build on the current restrictions on gambling advertising, including the existing ban on gambling advertising in live sport before 8.30pm and strict limits in sport after that time.
âAny further restrictions on gambling advertising must be offset by reductions in the regulatory burdens on commercial broadcasters. In particular, removing spectrum fees which are completely out-of-step with other countries that have already abolished such fees decades ago,â Ms Fair said.
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This has done me - what a ridiculous take, the industry needs to get their heads out of their arses and accept that theyâre directly contributing to the issue through shit like this.
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I think Free TVâs response also shows that the commercial networks rely too much from the gambling industry as the main source of income through advertising.
From Commercial Radio and Audio (CRA)
Radio says gambling ad reforms must be consistent and balanced
The Australian commercial radio industry has expressed deep concern that radio has been unfairly treated in recommendations outlined in the final report of the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs into online gambling.
Industry body Commercial Radio and Audio, which represents 260 radio broadcasters across Australia, said broadcasters supported the need for action to reduce the harms from gambling, but measures needed to be applied consistently and fairly.
âWe question why radio has been singled out for a ban on gambling ads during our peak listening times of 8.30-9.00 am and 3.30-4pm in the first phase when we are not a primary player in gambling advertising and radio has never been held up as one of the main problem areas,â CRA CEO Ford Ennals said.
âThe important breakfast and drive time sessions are critical to radio stationsâ revenue. Children do not drive and when they are in the car, they have parental or adult supervision.
âMeasures that are introduced must be balanced against the impact of the loss of revenue on the sustainability of local radio services and the quality of news and local content services stations are able to provide. Radio revenues are being hit by the economic downturn and if alternative revenue sources existed we would already be tapping into those.â
Mr Ennals added that exempting community broadcasters from restrictions until December 2025 also created inconsistency and could lead to unintended consequences.
âWe are committed to working constructively with the Government to support the objectives of reducing harms from gambling ads whilst ensuring commercial radio can continue to provide the live news, information and entertainment services that Australians depend on.â
I didnât realise that you had to be driving the car in order to hear what is being said on the radio.
Tonightâs Gruen was timely by covering gambling ads but it completely missed the release of the report today.
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Without it, it will be interesting how far revenue for the networks and sports organisations falls and the consequences from any cost management directives.
AFR reports the federal government could meet broadcasters and wagering companies as early as this week to expedite a process that will attempt to crack down on issues associated with the wagering sector.
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A lot of lost revenue if there were to be a ban. Just imagine the cost cutting required with tv to balance the books from that!
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Pretty laughable that there can be an entire afternoon devoted to gambling that has an occasional small mandatory anti-gambling tag line. Seems such a token gesture.
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100% spot on. It is laughable that Seven can air hours of horse racing - pretty much a big ad for gambling (and show the mandatory token anti-gambling line squashed at the bottom of the screens).
But then has specific guidelines for generic gambling commercials in general and during other sporting coverage
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Which as a viewer are bloody annoying as they are.
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Seven breaches online gambling advertising rules
The Seven Network Operations Ltd (Seven) has breached online content rules by showing gambling advertising outside the specified times during live sports coverage on its streaming service.
An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found a gambling advertisement was shown at 10.38am on 7plus during a live stream of an NFL American Football game on 12 December 2022. This breach follows the ACMA publishing a formal warning to Seven in October 2022 for a similar incident.
Gambling promotions cannot be shown during live streams of sporting events between 5am and 8.30pm, including the five minutes before and after a game.
Seven has paid a penalty of $13,320 for the breach, the maximum amount the ACMA is able to apply in these circumstances.
ACMA Chair Nerida OâLoughlin said that the Australian public is extremely concerned about the level of exposure to gambling advertising in live sporting coverage across all platforms and broadcasters.
âThe ACMA expects broadcasters to have robust systems and processes and associated assurance mechanisms in place to support compliance with these laws,â Ms OâLoughlin said.
In this instance, Seven advised that the streaming of the ad was an isolated event and that it had implemented additional mitigation measures to avoid future error, including additional oversight and training.
"Seven has told us that the measures it has in place are adequate to ensure future compliance and it does not need to do more. Following repeated breaches by Seven, we will continue to closely monitor their compliance with the rules to make sure that is the case,â Ms OâLoughlin said.
Minimising gambling harm continues to be a compliance priority for the ACMA in 2023-24.
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Ouch 
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