The Australian media watchdog, the ACMA, recently issued a friendly reminder to its licensed broadcasters regarding the regulations surrounding gambling advertisements, particularly during live sporting events.

Apparently, the ACMA observed some uncertainty among broadcasters about what constituted acceptable practices. As a refresher, the regulations, implemented in 2018, prohibit the display of gambling ads during live sports broadcasts between 5:00 am and 8:30 pm – considered family-oriented hours. Outside this timeframe, advertising is generally permissible, within reasonable limits.

The ACMA has been actively monitoring the situation, reviewing broadcasters’ practices and discussing their management of gambling advertisements. While generally satisfied with the compliance, it was evident that some broadcasters had differing interpretations of the rules, especially concerning exemptions – for example, when a sporting event is streamed online concurrently with its broadcast. Furthermore, inconsistencies were noted in how broadcasters maintained records of their advertising activities.

The Australian Media Authority (ACMA) is worried that broadcasters are exploiting a provision that permits them to bypass airing specific material. This provision is occasionally employed with another that grants failing pay TV stations a free pass, essentially exempting them from broadcasting regulations.

The ACMA aims to guarantee that this exemption is only utilized in circumstances where viewership is genuinely minimal. With the growing number of Australians streaming live sports online, it’s crucial to factor in those digital viewers when assessing if a program truly has a “small audience.”

Furthermore, the ACMA discovered discrepancies in the kinds of documentation broadcasters are maintaining. While they are happy that records are being kept, they want to reiterate to broadcasters that this documentation must comply with existing rules.