New South Wales to ban gambling ads on public transport
The ban will be implemented over the next 12 months.
Australia.- The New South Wales government is to introduce a ban on gambling-related ads on public transport in the state, including on trains, metro, buses and at train stations and ferry terminals. The ban will apply to internal and external ads.
According to the Liquor and Gaming NSW, the ban will cover all casino, lottery, and online betting ads. Premier Chris Minns wants ads related to gambling to be removed over the next 12 months.
When Transport does not own the assets (such as bus stops, retail outlets, or adjacent private properties), the NSW Government will work with the appropriate entities to explore how they will comply with the prohibition. There are currently 798 advertising boards at Sydney train stations, 49 road-facing digital billboards and adverts on up to 3,711 urban buses and 76 trams.
Jo Haylen, the minister of transport, said: “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. Parents are rightly worried about the impact it has on their kids, so its not something that we think that needs to be on our transport network.
“With over 3,500 buses, close to 800 advertising assets at train stations, as well as advertising on light rail and trains, Transport’s advertising contracts are vast. Because of the scale it will take some time to implement this change, but we will be working closely with our contract partners over the next 12 months to get this done.”
David Harris, minister for gaming and racing, said: “Removing gambling advertising from public transport is another demonstration of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to reducing gambling harm in NSW. “This move will reduce the public’s exposure to gambling advertising and builds on the suite of reforms the government has introduced over the past 20 months to reduce harmful impacts of gambling.”
The NSW government has implemented a series of major reforms, including capping the number of gaming machine entitlements, banning political donations from clubs and reducing the cash input limit on new gaming machines from AU$5,000 to AU$500.
There is a ban on external gambling signage and on the placement of gambling ads in sight of ATMs. The government has also introduced Responsible Gambling Officers for venues with more than 20 machine entitlements. Since January 1, ATMs must be situated outside of a five-meter radius of any entrance or exit of a gaming area in a hotel or club.