Australia bans athletes and celebrities from gambling ads

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has published its first formal guidance on how it will enforce the upcoming ban on notable people in gambling advertising. The ban takes effect on 1 January 2027. It covers athletes, celebrities, and social media influencers. ACMA's guidance clarifies the regulator's interpretation of who qualifies as a notable person and what promotional arrangements fall within scope.

The source publication date is 19 October 2026. That puts the compliance window at roughly ten weeks from the time of publication to the effective date.

Ambassador and influencer arrangements are the dominant creative format in Australian gambling marketing. Performance campaigns built around recognisable faces, athlete endorsements tied to sporting seasons, and influencer affiliate arrangements all fall away under this ban. Operators cannot simply swap talent. They need to restructure campaign architecture, brief agencies, renegotiate or terminate contracts, and produce compliant creative before the deadline.