The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has determined that the pay television and streaming company Foxtel violated broadcasting regulations by showing a segment promoting gambling services during a live Australian Football League (AFL) game on Easter Monday afternoon.
The ACMA’s inquiry revealed that the commercial aired at 4:30 pm, during the AFL match between Geelong and Hawthorn, in violation of the Subscription Television Broadcast Services Act Code, which forbids gambling advertisements during live sporting events between 5 am and 8:30 pm, or for 5 minutes after the event concludes. The violation was attributed to human error during the live broadcast. Foxtel voluntarily reported the violation to the ACMA after receiving complaints from viewers.
After the discovery of the violation, Foxtel provided additional training to its staff on Foxtel’s responsibilities under the Code regarding gambling advertisements.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has declared that Foxtel has put in place new measures to stop inappropriate gambling commercials from being shown during live sporting events in the future.
The head of the ACMA, Mr. O’Loughlin, stated: “These rules are intended to decrease people’s exposure to gambling promotions. Of particular concern is the anxiety that parents have about children seeing gambling advertisements, especially those connected with family activities such as sporting events.
“It is unfortunate that Foxtel was aware of these rules and therefore permitted the gambling promotion to be aired.”
In 2018, gambling commercials were prohibited during daytime broadcasts, except on so-called “low-rating” sports channels.
Last month, members of Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) – which includes most of the nation’s large online gambling operators, such as bet365, Betfair, Entain, and Sportsbet – agreed to back a ban on the use of credit cards for online gambling in the country.
The action was announced in an opening speech by RWA CEO Brent Jackson at the start of the country’s “Regulatory Inquiry into the Use of Financial Services such as Credit Cards and Digital Wallets in Australian Online Gambling”. The inquiry is intended to gather evidence to decide whether the use of credit cards and digital wallets for online gambling should continue to be permitted.
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