Australia Passes New Gambling Reforms With Adstop and Customer Red Flags

Australia has passed a new package of federal gambling reforms aimed at reducing gambling harm and strengthening rules for online wagering operators.

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The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 passed Parliament on August 19. The changes cover gambling advertising, betting inducements, vulnerable customers, staff commissions, and enforcement against illegal gambling services.

The reforms introduce new responsibilities for wagering companies, while also giving Australian consumers another way to limit exposure to gambling advertising. The Australian Communications and Media Authority, or ACMA, will oversee parts of the new system.

The legislation forms part of Australia’s broader effort to tighten federal rules around online betting and gambling-related marketing.

New Red-Flag System for Customers

The largest change, however, is the creation of a red-flag process for customers who exhibit evidence of having suffered harm from their gambling.

Wagering companies will be required to identify those customers who might be at risk of suffering harm and refrain from offering them any further inducements to bet. The detailed criteria for determining whether a customer should be flagged will be developed through regulation.

The ACMA will oversee the system, although operators will play a major role in deciding when a customer should be identified as vulnerable.

This element of the reforms has drawn criticism. While some gambling-harm campaigners and Members of Parliament have contended that wagering organizations should not have such a prominent role in identifying potential gambling harm among their customers.

The measure creates a formal obligation to take action upon spotting evidence of potential harm.

Adstop Creates Advertising Opt-Out Option

The reforms will also introduce Adstop, a national register that will allow Australians to opt out of online wagering advertising.

The system is intended to give consumers 1 option for removing themselves from gambling marketing across online platforms. It adds another layer of protection for people who do not want to receive wagering advertisements.

Adstop will operate alongside BetStop, Australia’s existing national self-exclusion register. BetStop blocks registered users from opening or using wagering accounts.

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The new measures also strengthen protections for people who have used BetStop. Wagering operators will not be allowed to provide inducements to customers who have left BetStop within the previous 3 months.

This restriction is intended to limit promotional pressure on people who have recently ended their self-exclusion period.

Tougher Rules on Inducements

The new laws set stricter limits on bonus bets and other inducements offered by wagering companies.

Operators will be prohibited from directly marketing inducements to new customers during the first 14 days after an account is registered. It relates to the conduct of direct marketing and will assist in limiting any early promotional efforts for individuals who have recently signed up on a betting site.

Any inducement will also not be allowed for individuals who are considered susceptible to gambling-related harm. Once a person has been flagged under the new system, operators must stop sending them these offers.

The legislation also targets commissions paid to wagering staff and affiliates. Activity-based commissions will be banned where payments are directly linked to a customer’s gambling activity.

The measure is intended to remove financial incentives that could encourage VIP managers, staff members, or affiliates to push customers toward higher levels of betting.

ACMA Continues Enforcement Work

ACMA has continued its crackdown on unauthorized gambling sites operating online.

From April to June 2026, the regulatory body conducted 30 investigations in relation to 76 gambling sites, which included 56 breaches of the Interactive Gambling Act.

The authority also referred 187 websites for blocking by Australian internet service providers during the same period.

The latest reforms add stronger consumer-protection measures while enforcement against illegal services continues. They also build on earlier restrictions affecting the way gambling promotions can be displayed, particularly around sport and younger audiences.

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Source: Casino.com