Gambling ad ban to kick in for streaming
Ban on gambling ads during Live sport will apply to all streaming platforms from late September.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under Streaming
Rules restricting gambling ads during Live sport will come into effect for all Live streaming platforms, including for Free to Air on SVOD services, from September 28.
Restrictions for broadcasters have been in effect since 30 March but are extended for all Live streaming between 5.00 am and 8.30 pm. At all other times, gambling advertising is also restricted.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority announced its plans for the Broadcasting Services (Online Content Service Provider Rules) 2018 in April, following community consultation.
“This is the first time that online services streaming live sport have been required to comply with gambling advertising restrictions,” said ACMA Chair, Nerida O’Loughlin.
“This brings online services in line with television and radio broadcasting services. It creates a safe zone for children and families to watch live sport across a variety of platforms.
In addition to impacting 9Now, 7Plus and tenplay, they will also impact services such as Netflix, Stan & Amazon should they deliver Live coverage of sporting events.
ACMA will monitor operation of the new rules for 12 months.
4 Responses
The hilarious thing is they did it to themselves.
They could’ve been patient, slowly insinuating gambling ads into every break & programme & people would’ve barely noticed. They didn’t.
They could’ve backed off when people first started noticing & complaining. They didn’t.
They could’ve offered a mea culpa and taken a couple of steps back when it hit the fan. They didn’t.
Instead, gambling companies & broadcasters dug their heels in, denied there was a problem, blamed others for everything, and doubled down in the hope they’d eventually win. They lacked the self-awareness to see that they caused their own problems, and the self-control to stop.
They were too addicted to winning, & didn’t believe they could lose. They gambled, they lost, they should call a hotline or something…
I guess those who see gambling as a pastime will not like this political move but it is overdue though probably too late for some compulsive gamblers. It’s a shame that the commercial TV industry cannot regulate itself better on these matters regarding advertising content, but money is everything it would seem.
Not that simple. Yes it has been a debate but in 2017 this from Free TV, “…broadcasters are committed to addressing community concerns regarding frequency of gambling advertising in live sport during children’s viewing hours. The industry will move to amend the Commercial Television Code of Practice to ban gambling ads in live sport before 8.30pm, and during a five minute buffer before and after the event.”
Arguably, gambling holds a similar negative status to cigarette and alcohol advertising which was quite commonly used in sports events coverage not that long ago, the social and mental health effects of compulsive gambling are well known.