The Office of Impact Analysis has quietly released the detailed economic and social assessment behind the advertising reforms Prime Minister Albanese announced on 2 April. The 48-page report, published in April 2026, provides the first comprehensive public accounting of what Australian governments believe the wagering sector costs the community, and what the reforms package will actually change.
The Numbers That Drove the Decision
According to the impact analysis, Australians lost $32.2 billion on legal gambling in 2023-24. That is the highest per-capita gambling loss in the world, at approximately $1,521 per person per year. Total losses have grown 26 per cent since 2018-19. Wagering specifically, which includes sports and racing, has grown faster than any other category, from $3 billion in 2010-11 to $8.4 billion in 2023-24.
Nielsen Ad Intel data cited in the report tracked 2.9 million wagering advertisements across television, radio, online and print channels during 2024. Despite voluntary industry reductions, the Australian public still cites gambling as the leading advertising concern, with 67 per cent nominating it as the most problematic advertising category ahead of any other industry.
What the Analysis Found
Research commissioned for the report estimates the total social cost of wagering in Australia at $26.8 billion for 2023 alone. That figure includes $4.9 billion in psychological harm, $8.2 billion in health harms, and $5.6 billion in relationship and family impacts. It does not include productivity losses or direct financial losses to problem gamblers, which are counted separately.
The analysis also found that while the wagering industry has voluntarily cut advertising spend from $217 million in 2022 to $82 million in 2024, sports fans continue to see significant numbers of ads before, during and after live broadcasts. Children aged 12 to 14 are most frequently exposed on television and social media at 83 per cent reach, while 15 to 17 year olds are reached primarily through phone apps and social media at 74 per cent. The full document is available on the Office of Impact Analysis website.
What This Means for Punters
None of this changes the rules for how you place a bet today. What it does change is the policy context heading into 2027. The impact analysis concludes that Option 2, the legislative reform package announced by the government, offers the best net benefit when weighed against Option 1 (status quo) and Option 3 (full advertising ban). That finding will likely make it harder for further reforms to be added to the package before 1 January 2027, but also harder for reforms to be watered down. Expect the ACMA to publish follow-up data on wagering harm every year from 2027 onwards, which will drive the next round of changes.