Australia Gambling Jersey Logo Ban Allows Existing Deals to Run Through 2031

CANBERRA, Australia – Gambling logos could remain on Australian sports jerseys through the end of 2031 despite a new federal ban on wagering sponsorship branding.

The five-year transition has drawn criticism from lawmakers and public health advocates who argue that children will continue seeing gambling brands associated with professional sport long after the reforms begin.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 passed Parliament on Aug. 19 and will introduce wider restrictions on wagering advertising from Jan. 1, 2027. The legislation bans wagering advertising on players’ and officials’ uniforms and at sports venues, alongside new controls covering television, radio, online advertising and live sports broadcasts.

Existing Jersey Deals Can Continue Through 2031

Under the new wagering advertising provisions, sponsorship arrangements entered into before the legislation was introduced can continue until Dec. 31, 2031. New wagering advertising deals for uniforms and sports venues will not be permitted once the reforms take effect.

Independent Sen. David Pocock has criticized the length of the transition, describing it as an “absurd situation” and urging sports organizations to remove betting logos earlier. Liberal MP Andrew Wallace has also argued that five years is too long, saying he had supported a two-year transition instead.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said one unnamed sports club has an existing jersey agreement running until 2031. She said the government hopes clubs will voluntarily end wagering sponsorships sooner but considers decisions about terminating existing commercial contracts a matter for the clubs involved.

Several National Rugby League teams currently carry wagering branding. Existing arrangements include sponsorships involving the Penrith Panthers, Newcastle Knights, Dolphins, Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters. Some contracts are due to expire earlier in the transition period, while the longest identified agreement could continue into 2031.

Reforms Target Link Between Gambling and Sport

The jersey restrictions form part of a broader package that the government says is designed to reduce children’s exposure to gambling marketing. Australia had already outlined plans for tighter gambling advertising controls earlier this year, including restrictions around live sport and a ban on wagering branding inside sporting venues.

The final legislation also limits television wagering advertising to three ads per hour during specified daytime and evening periods, restricts radio advertising around school drop-off and pickup times, and prohibits athletes, celebrities and influencers from promoting wagering.

Online platforms will generally be required to restrict wagering advertising to logged-in adults who have the ability to opt out. The reforms also establish a broader wagering advertising opt-out system and introduce additional restrictions on inducements offered to customers considered at risk of gambling-related harm.

Critics Question Length of Phaseout

Public health specialists have argued that allowing jersey sponsorships to remain for another five years conflicts with the government’s stated objective of reducing the connection between gambling and sport.

Samantha Thomas, a public health researcher specializing in gambling harm, said the transition raises questions about the urgency of protecting children from gambling marketing. The Alliance for Gambling Reform has also criticized the grandfathering arrangements, arguing that the extended phaseout weakens the immediate effect of the reforms.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will oversee compliance with the new advertising restrictions when they begin in 2027. Existing qualifying sponsorship agreements can remain in place during the transition, but new wagering branding arrangements on uniforms and at sports venues will be prohibited.

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