Australia
The Guardian Bans Gambling Advertising
The Guardian Media Group has announced a global ban on gambling advertising, arguing it is unethical to take money from services that can lead to “addiction and financial ruin”.
Anna Bateson, the chief executive of Guardian Media Group, said advertising, particularly online, could trap gamblers in an “addictive cycle” that caused financial distress, mental health issues and wider social problems.
She said: “Guardian journalists have reported on the devastating impact of the gambling industry in the UK and Australia, helping to shift the dial and ensure the issue remains high on the public agenda. Studies highlight a clear correlation between exposure to gambling advertising and increased intentions to engage in regular gambling.”
Bateson said a particular concern was how bookmakers used targeted online adverts to lure back individual gamblers. “Ultimately, we believe that our primary obligation is to do the right thing for our readers, which is why we’ve decided that there are other ways to generate revenue,” she said.
The ban covers all forms of gambling advertising, including promotions for sports betting, online casinos and scratchcards. It will apply worldwide to all of the company’s online and print outlets, including the Guardian, Observer and Guardian Weekly.
Lottery advertising has been excluded from the ban, with a spokesperson for the Guardian saying it could have social benefits through raising money for good causes and typically involved “non-instantaneous draws”.
The Guardian already has a ban on adverts from fossil fuel companies, which has been in place since 2020.
The decision to exclude gambling advertising from the Guardian’s publications follows the rapid growth of online betting on sporting events, aided by deregulation and the huge increase in the number of smartphone users. The US has recently embraced online betting on sports, following the lead of Australia and the UK, where gambling has exploded in popularity over the past decade.
In order to sustain their profits, gambling companies spend enormous sums of money on advertising to attract new customers – and to persuade existing ones to return for one more flutter.
Many media outlets are increasingly reliant on money from betting companies. British television channels have said their business models increasingly depend on advertising from bookmakers, while TikTok is trialling gambling advertising in Australia, and the US outlet Barstool Sports was bought outright by a casino group.
There are signs of growing discomfort about this approach among the public and prominent journalists, at a time when other countries are instituting outright bans on gambling advertising. The veteran football commentator Clive Tyldesley recently left the radio station TalkSport because he felt uncomfortable with the obligation to promote bookmakers and odds during matches.
Guardian Media Group increasingly relies on contributions directly from readers, rather than advertising, for its income.
Bateson said: “We are able to make these types of decisions due to our independent ownership structure, balancing purpose and profit.”
She said the Guardian’s own reporting had shown how the UK’s government’s proposed betting reforms “fell short on any meaningful action on gambling advertising”.
She said: “We understand and respect that millions of our readers, including our reporters and staff, are passionate sports fans who may occasionally choose to engage in gambling as part of their sporting experience. It is a matter of personal freedom, and we have no issue with that.
“We fully support the enjoyment of sports and respect individuals’ choices to participate in occasional gambling on football, horse racing, or any other sport. Our concern lies with the pervasive nature of retargeted digital advertisements that trap a portion of sports fans in an addictive cycle.”
Liquor & Gaming NSW has published the Hospitality and Racing Strategy 2026-28, setting a clear path for reducing harm, supporting responsible industry growth and meeting evolving community expectations. The Strategy outlines Hospitality and Racing’s vision, regulatory posture and strategic objectives.
It outlines three strategic objectives which will guide the work to support communities, individuals and the industry. The first is targeted harm reduction, using better data, education and engagement to focus on the areas where we can make the biggest difference.
The second is outcome‑focused, responsive regulation, by making use of streamlined, place‑based and community‑informed approaches that deliver meaningful, real-world outcomes.
Third is promoting modern tools, skilled teams and smart decisions, investing in its capability, improving how it uses data and supporting consistent decision making across hospitality and racing.
Regulatory Priorities 2026
Alongside the new strategy, Liquor & Gaming NSW has also issued its Regulatory Priorities 2026. This sets out where the department will be focusing its regulatory attention over course of the year. It provides transparency on Liquor & Gaming’s forward regulatory agenda and gives the industry the opportunity to proactively engage about the issues they are concerned about.
The post NSW: Hospitality and Racing Strategy 2026-28 and Regulatory Priorities 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The latest sites blocked include:
Lucky Mate
Vegastars
Wombet
Cosmobet
Fortune Play
Fortunica
Rolletto
Velobet
Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1518 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. Over 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.
The post ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Websites appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Australia
Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney — One Month Countdown as Sector Leaders Anticipate Inaugural RTG Global Awards
With a month left until Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney, the final arrangements are in progress for the industry’s premier event on gambling regulation, compliance, integrity, and safer gambling, scheduled for 9–11 March 2026 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.
Currently in its sixth edition, Regulating the Game has become a platform for in-depth, cross-jurisdictional analysis of gambling regulation and industry performance, emphasizing the interplay between regulatory frameworks, market structures, and organizational capacity in practice. The 2026 initiative unites regulators, policymakers, operators, advisors, and technology experts to explore the translation of regulatory intent into practical application, as well as the evolution of industry systems, governance, and behaviors in light of increased scrutiny and reform.
A Program Centered on System Efficiency and Compliance Circumstances
The 2026 conference agenda is designed to transition purposefully from context to analysis to application, exploring how gambling regulation, market design, organizational capability, and leadership influence real-world results. Over three days, the program examines not just the pathway of regulatory reform, but also how these reforms are integrated, implemented, and challenged within intricate gambling settings facing ongoing evaluation and transformation.
Sessions cover public policy, regulatory practice, sector performance, and innovation, focusing on:
• The strategic direction of gambling regulation, enforcement and supervision, and how regulatory posture is evolving post-inquiry and reform
• The operational reality of compliance, including AML/CTF supervision, financial crime risk, and implementation challenges and opportunities
• Safer gambling governance, consumer protection frameworks and the application of RegTech at scale
• Market structure, black and grey market dynamics, and the unintended consequences of regulatory design choices
• Technology, data governance, RegTech and the use of AI to support integrity, oversight and organisational decision-making
• Leadership, accountability, culture and the capability required to translate policy intent into durable operational outcomes
The agenda integrates keynote addresses, moderated panels, expert masterclasses and Industry Spotlight sessions, designed to support informed debate while grounding discussion in real-world regulatory and operational experience.
Global RTG Awards to Be Presented for the First Time
A key aspect of Regulating the Game 2026 is the introduction of the first Regulating the Game Global Awards, which honor leadership, stewardship, and measurable effects in areas such as sector direction and reform, compliance, safer gambling, technology, and community results.
The Global Awards were created to offer impartial, thorough acknowledgment of individuals, organizations, and solutions that are enhancing standards and leading to improved regulatory and social results. Finalists have been verified in six categories after an objective evaluation by a judging panel made up of senior leaders with extensive knowledge in regulation, law, integrity, governance, and responsible gambling.
The RTG Global Awards Gala Dinner will take place as a central event of the conference agenda, allowing finalists, peers, and industry stakeholders to engage in the Awards without needing to attend the entire conference.
Pitch! Showcase and Industry Interaction
The conference agenda includes Pitch!, a forum by Regulating the Game for exploring both new and traditional methods to tackle regulatory, compliance, and safer gambling issues. Pitch! highlights research, practical technologies, operating models, and concepts being implemented or tested in regulated settings, and analyzes how innovation is embraced, managed, and expanded in conjunction with current systems and controls.
Paul Newson, Founder of Regulating the Game and Principal at Vanguard Overwatch, stated that the 2026 event signifies the growth and significance of the existing regulatory landscape:
“Regulating the Game exists to engage honestly with how gambling regulation, sector performance and organisational capability intersect in practice – not just policy intent, but how expectations are interpreted, implemented and sustained over time.
The Global Awards sit alongside that purpose. They recognise and help surface leadership, stewardship and practical work that is lifting capability, strengthening governance and positioning organisations – and the sector more broadly – for more resilient and sustainable operation. The intent is to cultivate credible leadership voices and highlight work that is demonstrably improving outcomes.”
The post Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney — One Month Countdown as Sector Leaders Anticipate Inaugural RTG Global Awards appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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