ACMA fines Seven for breaching online gambling ad rules

Seven had been warned by the ACMA for a similar incident in October 2022.

11/01/23

Seven has been fined AU$13,320 for showing a gambling ad outside the specified times.

Australia.- The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has fined Seven Network Operations (Seven) for breaching online content rules by showing gambling advertising outside of the specified times during live sports coverage on its streaming service.

An investigation conducted by the ACMA revealed that a gambling ad was displayed at 10.38am on 7plus during live streaming of an NFL American Football game on December 12, 2022. This breach follows a formal warning issued in October 2022 for a similar incident.

The regulations stipulate that gambling ads cannot be aired during live streams of sporting events between 5am and 8.30pm, including the five minutes before and after a game. Seven has incurred a penalty of AU$13,320 (US$8,572.62), which represents the maximum amount that the ACMA can impose under these circumstances.

ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the Australian public is concerned about the level of exposure to gambling advertising in live sporting. She said: “The ACMA expects broadcasters to have robust systems and processes and associated assurance mechanisms in place to support compliance with these laws.”

Seven said the ad was an isolated event and that it had implemented additional measures to avoid future errors, including additional oversight and training.

O’Loughlin said: “Seven has told us that the measures it has in place are adequate to ensure future compliance and it does not need to do more. Following repeated breaches by Seven, we will continue to closely monitor their compliance with the rules to make sure that is the case.”

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