The Australian Communications and Media Authority has published initial guidance on a ban preventing celebrities, athletes and influencers from appearing in gambling advertising, with the rules taking effect on 1 January 2027. The guidance gives operators, broadcasters and publishers under three months to review existing sponsorship arrangements and advertising campaigns before the prohibition becomes enforceable.
What happened
ACMA released its guidance on 19 October 2026, covering the “notable persons” provision of the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026, which
was introduced under the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026, enacted on August 26, 2026
. From the start of 2027,
gambling advertising must not feature a notable person, whether it is broadcast or provided online, and licensed interactive wagering service providers will be barred from entering into contracts or arrangements for the sponsorship, participation or involvement of a notable person in promoting wagering advertising content in Australia.
The definition of a notable person is broad.
It covers a current or former professional sports player or athlete, a current or former celebrity, a current or former social media influencer, or a current or former prominent individual, and the minister can extend the definition to any other class of persons by determination.
ACMA has confirmed that
considerations may include public recognition, media exposure, professional achievements and a person’s ability to influence decisions or attitudes, with no fixed number of followers or subscribers applying to influencers
.
Crucially, compliance obligations sit with operators rather than the people featured in campaigns. The guidance states that
the obligations to prevent the use of notable people in wagering advertising rest with the LIWSP, not the notable person
. There are some carve-outs: under transitional arrangements,
uniform and venue advertising associated with contracts entered into before the bill’s introduction on July 2, 2026, is grandfathered until December 31, 2031
. The wider reform package also covers additional marketing restrictions, with the broader changes
restricting wagering advertising, including a ban during live sports and in sports venues, banning the direct marketing of inducements to at-risk customers, boosting enforcement action against illegal gambling services and strengthening the operation of BetStop
.
Why it matters
Celebrity and athlete endorsements have long underpinned wagering marketing in Australia, and the breadth of this definition removes a well-worn playbook for brand building almost overnight. Because the rule covers former as well as current figures,
the ban includes retired sports stars and past influencers, groups that have long been staples of wagering marketing in Australia
. Operators that built brand recognition around ambassadors or sponsored athletes now need alternative routes to market, likely shifting spend toward product-led creative, search and other non-personality channels.
For affiliates and performance marketers, the changes carry direct relevance. Influencer-led promotion has become a significant acquisition channel across regulated markets, and this guidance removes the follower-count ambiguity that some operators may have relied on. ACMA has made clear that even small-audience creators can fall within scope if they
hold influence within a particular community or demographic
, which means affiliate and influencer partnerships in Australia will need far more rigorous vetting before campaigns go live. Any content involving a person who later becomes notable may also need to be withdrawn, as the guidance notes a person’s status can change over time.
The bigger picture
The notable persons ban sits within a broader tightening of Australian gambling advertising rules that has been building for several years, following earlier restrictions on advertising during live sport broadcasts and inducement marketing. ACMA’s guidance follows the passage of the reform act through parliament, which
Parliament included in the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, which it passed in August
. Industry bodies including Sportsbet, TAB and Responsible Wagering Australia have previously signalled broad support for the government’s overall direction on advertising reform, even as the practical compliance burden falls on individual operators.
The move mirrors a wider international trend of regulators clamping down on celebrity-fronted gambling marketing, a theme that has also played out in the UK and other mature markets through advertising codes restricting appeal to under-18s. Operators active in Australia now face a compressed timeline to audit sponsorship books, renegotiate contracts where necessary and brief marketing and affiliate teams on the new compliance obligations before the January deadline. Readers tracking parallel marketing restrictions elsewhere may also be interested in New York’s new AI rules targeting sportsbook marketing tactics.
Sources
- GamblingNews – ACMA Publishes Initial Guidance on Ban on Featuring Notable Persons in Gambling Ads
- iGaming Business – ACMA issues first guidance on Australia’s ban on notable people in gambling ads
- SiGMA – Australia’s media regulator details celebrity wagering ad ban
- FocusGN – ACMA clarifies Australian gambling ad rules
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