NSW Government announces gambling advertising ban on public transport
Gambling advertisements will be banned on public transport in the nation’s most populous state in a move labelled long overdue by industry reformers.
Mirroring a move Victoria made in 2017, the NSW government announced on Tuesday that it would begin a 12-month phase-out period for the ads on trains, ferries and buses, as well as at state-owned station infrastructure.
The managers of assets the government does not own - such as bus stops, retail outlets and nearby private properties - will be encouraged to align with the ban.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Gambling advertising has been a common sight on our public transport for a couple of years now and I’m pleased our government is taking action to remove it,” Transport Minister Jo Haylen said.
“Parents are rightly worried about the impact it has on their kids, so it’s not something that we think needs to be on our transport network.”
Home to one of the state’s largest group of advertising assets, NSW’s transport system has about 800 ad boards at train stations, more than 3700 spots for ads on buses, and other spaces that can be purchased for promotion.
Alliance for Gambling Reform chief executive Martin Thomas said the ban was “long overdue”.
“These are public assets and ads that reach children, and it’s completely inappropriate they feature gambling advertisements that not only harm kids, but put a critical drain on the state budget through the damage gambling causes,” he told AAP.
“The federal government has been sitting on a report for 18 months now which has recommended the full ban on all gambling ads ... we don’t have to have triggering ads for people every minute we turn on our screens, or even just catch a bus.”
Late federal Labor MP Peta Murphy’s landmark 2023 report recommended a blanket ban on gambling advertisements, including on TV.
But the federal government has pushed back its scheduled response, prompting several crossbench MPs to accuse Labor of capitulating to the gambling lobby.
That is despite Australians losing about $25 billion gambling every year, the most in the world on a per-capita basis.
“A key reason for us being the biggest gambling losers in the world per capita is not because we have a betting culture, but because we have some of the weakest regulations around gambling advertising in the world,” Mr Thomas said.
