ACMA finds SBS breached gambling advertising rules during Tour de France broadcast
Australia’s media regulator has found that SBS breached gambling advertising rules after airing a Crown commercial during its Tour de France coverage last July.
Australia.- The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) breached gambling advertising rules during its live coverage of the Tour de France in July 2025 after airing a Crown advertisement at a prohibited time.
Under the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, gambling commercials are only permitted before play, after play and during scheduled or unscheduled breaks if shown during live sporting events between 8.30 pm and 5 am. SBS is required to comply with these advertising rules under its own Code of Practice.
The investigation focused on whether the advertisement qualified for the Code’s “dining or entertainment” exemption, which allows the promotion of dining, accommodation and entertainment facilities at venues where gambling activities also take place.
ACMA concluded that the Crown advertisement did not meet the requirements of the exemption because it included the tagline “premier casino resort,” which the regulator determined drew attention to the gambling services available at the venue in addition to its hospitality offerings.
By contrast, ACMA found that two other Crown advertisements broadcast during the same Tour de France coverage did not breach the Code. Those commercials focused on food, dining and entertainment experiences at Crown properties without using the “premier casino resort” branding.
Carolyn Lidgerwood, ACMA authority member, said the advertisement under investigation went beyond promoting hospitality services. “While the advertisement was broadly about dining, entertainment and accommodation, the use of the tagline ‘premier casino resort’ also directly promoted gambling activities available at Crown,” Lidgerwood said.
She added that the dining and entertainment exemption does not apply when any element of an advertisement is designed to draw attention to gambling activities and directly promote them.
The decision marks the first time ACMA has considered the scope of the dining and entertainment exemption as part of a formal investigation. The regulator said the finding serves as a reminder for broadcasters to carefully assess advertising content and avoid language that could be interpreted as promoting gambling.
Although SBS disagreed with the regulator’s conclusion, the broadcaster stated that it takes compliance matters seriously and remains committed to meeting its regulatory obligations.
