Gambling researchers and crossbench politicians have called for Australia’s proposed partial ban on gambling advertising to be tightened, warning the framework contains loopholes that the wagering industry could exploit.
According to The Guardian, the concerns centered on how the rules would apply to podcasts, social media influencers, and streaming platforms.
Deakin University gambling and public health researcher Simone McCarthy said embedded podcast ad reads, delivered by hosts rather than inserted separately, could not be switched off by platforms, making age-gating ineffective.
“We just know that podcasts are hugely popular with younger audiences and they’re not easy to regulate in terms of age access and age-gating that the government hopes to do,” McCarthy told The Guardian.
