Play
The Budget Battle Over Gambling Site Oversight
13 October 2026
Australia's parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm made sweeping recommendations. Will lawmakers follow suit, or lose regulatory opportunities in funding squabbles?
The government's response to a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm, released on budget day, May 12, has been accused of intentionally "burying" the document. Critics argue the move could delay potential reforms meant to curb online gambling harm in Australia.
The parliamentary inquiry, published in May 2023, called for a "comprehensive" ban on online gambling advertising, restrictions on inducements, and the creation of a new national gambling regulator and gambling ombudsman. The chair of the inquiry, Labor MP Peta Murphy, described the response as "an insult to the hundreds of people who made submissions and to all those affected by the impacts of online gambling advertising."
In contrast, the government's reform package, offered on the back of ongoing legal changes, prevents gambling ads on radio and television from 6am to 8.30pm. It also requires opt-out rules for online promotions and bans ads in stadiums and on sports jerseys.
The legislation, the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, passed the Australian Parliament on March 20, 2026. The bill restricts how and when online gambling advertising can be delivered. However, it only partially goes as far as the parliamentary inquiry recommendations. Critics say it fails to create a national regulator or ban online gambling ads entirely.
Funding concerns
Both the UK and Ireland underscore the importance of funding for online gambling oversight.
The UK has committed to significantly increasing federal funding for its Gambling Commission. The UK Finance Bill includes a proposal for a government-commissioned impact assessment on the effects of gambling duty increases on Gibraltar’s economy and asks for the report two months after the end of Parliament.
The UK Gambling Commission received approximately £20 million in 2022. A 2026 report from the House of Commons highlights that 97% of accounts above the proposed spending thresholds could be assessed with existing financial data, fewer than 3% would need a full Financial Risk Assessment, and about one in 1,000 online gambling accounts would need more intrusive checks. Regardless, MPs argue these checks could be 'catastrophic' for the self-excluded or financially vulnerable.
The Commission's 2026-2027 business plan has received a £26 million increase in funding.
Considering the scale of online gambling, experts argue even this increased funding would eventually prove insufficient.
In neighboring Ireland, government underfunding has delayed much-needed regulatory reform. The country's new gambling regulator, set up in 2018 in an attempt to stop organized crime running Ireland's gambling industry, has been left massively underfunded. Only a year into the job, the regulator says it will have to delay or reduce remote gaming licensing and black market enforcement due to a funding shortfall of around 50%.
A complicated legal issue
So is it possible to regulate online gambling effectively, in an increasingly mobile future?
More on this is available via https://aboutgambling.top/.
One issue is the complicated legal position of international gambling regulation.
The Northern Territory is "de facto watchdog for online gambling in Australia, with 40% of all online betting exchanges registered in the Territory. This compares to licensing for just 2% of video game publishers in the region.
A 2026 NT Bill proposed major restrictions on online gambling companies licensed in the Territory, including deposit caps and inducement bans, and would create a new regulator to monitor gambling activities.
However, NT wanted to push ahead with online gambling reforms, regardless of federal government inaction "because everyone else is dragging the chain," the minister responsible for the reforms has said. "We are going to proceed with this legislation because it's good legislation and we think it's going to make things safer."
But the chances of the reforms passing are slim, political analysts warn, pointing to state electorate reliance on online gambling revenue and the NT's status as gambling licence holder.
The political momentum for regulation
The political momentum in the era is so strong, that gambling companies in Australia, UK and Ireland are openly unnerved.
London-based gambling firm Flutter Entertainment, which in 2024 was criticized for breaching UK gambling rules, faced significantly increased government scrutiny. Australian leader of betting app Sportsbet was quick to sell its Australian assets to online gambling giant PointsBet in 2026.
Even the Australian government response acknowledges the benefits of funding a new national regulator - citing it as "crucial for enforcing online gambling laws".
With budget negotiations still underway, and the percentage of online gamblers in Australia, Ireland and the UK exceeding projections, the gambling industry will likely have to face calls for a brand new regulator to oversee and enforce international laws, with increased funding.
The Budget Battle over Gambling Site Oversight is likely to be a defining fight in 2026.