You can soon block gambling ads: how it works

There are few details about exactly how the register will work and when it will be officially set up by the government.

The government is moving to make opting out of gambling ads online as easy as paying a bill.

It is part of a deal with the Coalition to pass gambling ad reform through parliament, legislation that would also include changes to how gambling companies can induce people to place bets, and an ad blackout either side of live sports games.

The government is warning the opt-out mechanism will be complicated to build, and could take a long time to implement.

But in essence, the goal is to allow families and individuals to tell companies and platforms they do not want to see gambling ads when they log in online.

Critics of the government's proposed reform say it goes nowhere near far enough to address real gambling harm, pointing to the vast majority of recommendations from the government's own 'You Win Some, You Lose More' report from 2023 that are not being adopted.

The Greens have gone so far as to suggest the gambling overhaul is purposely convoluted, and have doubted the communications watchdog's ability to manage the opt-out register.

Here is what we know.

How would I opt out of gambling ads?

The details are slim at this stage, but the ABC understands people would be able to opt out by submitting details, such as their email and the platform they hold an account with, to the register.

Anika Wells says the government will introduce a register to opt out of wagering advertising. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

It is not yet clear whether the register would then pass that information to the platforms, or if they would be required to check their lists against the opt-out register proactively.

Ultimately, the idea is that the online platforms would be required to stop showing gambling ads to anyone on the register.

In parliament on Monday, Communications Minister Anika Wells described it as a "one-stop shop" for Australians.

"It is expected that the government's reforms will respond to these concerns by introducing new restrictions on inducement-based marketing and establishing the wagering advertising opt-out register, which will provide Australians with a one-stop shop to opt out of seeing wagering advertising on online platforms," she said.

Do you know more?

We're looking into how gambling affects young Australians and would like to hear from parents or teens who've been impacted—whether through ads, betting apps, peer pressure, or personal experience. Tell us more here.

Doesn't opt-out already exist?

Yes, on some platforms.

For example, SBS has an option to opt-out on gambling ads on its streaming platform.

But the Senate inquiry that looked at the proposed changes to gambling ads heard that only 1 per cent of SBS viewers chose to opt out.

It is likely that, in part, that is because people either did not know it was an option, or found it too hard to figure out how to click the right button.

Anthony Albanese says the changes will help the people most at risk of gambling harm. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Already, the government's proposal includes what is called a "triple-lock" mechanism.

It would force social media and streaming companies to turn off gambling ads to users 18 and under, and give adults the option to opt out.

That has been criticised as too onerous for the user, with some advocates calling for an opt-in mechanism instead, an idea the prime minister has firmly rejected.

A centralised register, like the one being considered in this deal, would help to make it easier for people who want to turn off gambling ads across all their online accounts in one fell swoop.

The "triple lock" would also remain for people to manually opt out from a specific platform.

The credibility of the Albanese government's much vaunted wagering self-exclusion scheme BetStop has been called into question after loopholes in the system allowed a Sydney man to lose nearly $70,000 despite signing up to a lifetime ban.

There is also BetStop, a scheme administered by the federal government, for people who want to be stopped from gambling altogether.

BetStop is the national self-exclusion register and allows users to prohibit themselves from engaging in online and phone gambling for a minimum of three months, up to a lifetime.

Gambling companies are also barred from sending marketing messages and offering inducements once someone has self-identified on BetStop.

Who will be in charge of the opt-out register?

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) would be in charge of building, administering and monitoring the scheme.

The government has introduced legislation that would require betting companies to pay for it, as they do with BetStop, via a levy.

Initially, ACMA said they had not received extra resourcing to implement the changes coming with whatever version of the bill passes parliament.

But the government has since clarified the regulator will get extra help to regulate the new laws.

The idea behind the scheme is that online streaming services would stop showing gambling ads to people on the register. (ABC News: Stephen Cavenagh)

What don't we know yet?

Quite a lot.

The full details of the deal have not been made public, but we know the Coalition will be asking for more amendments beyond the opt-out register in exchange for their support.

We do not know a whole lot about how the government plans to make the one-stop opt-out shop happen, noting the difficulty of sharing data and matching emails across multiple platforms and services.

The broader changes to gambling ads are expected to take effect from July 1 next year, but it is clear the opt-out register would not be ready by then.

See more ABC coverage in your search results