The ACMA triple lock is now clearer. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has published guidance on the three conditions an online content service must meet before it can show wagering advertising. From 1 January 2027, any platform that doesn’t meet all three won’t be allowed to carry these ads.
What changed
On 12 November 2026, ACMA released its first industry guidance on the triple lock exception. The exception comes from the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026, which passed in August. In short, the default position is a ban. A platform can show wagering ads only if it can show it has all three locks in place.
Who is affected
The guidance is aimed at providers of online content services available to people in Australia, wherever the company is based. That includes streaming and on-demand video, social media, messaging, gaming services, websites and apps. On the consumer side, the rules protect what the law calls “restricted users”. These are people in Australia who:
- are under 18
- haven’t confirmed their age
- aren’t logged in to a registered account
- have opted out of wagering ads, either through the platform’s own tool or, once it’s running, the Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register
When it starts
The ban takes effect on 1 January 2027. The government opt-out register will start later, on a date the minister will set. Until then, each platform needs its own opt-out tool.
What the ACMA triple lock means in practice
A provider that wants to keep showing wagering ads must take reasonable steps to:
- stop restricted users from seeing or receiving wagering ads
- make sure the person viewing them is logged in to a registered account
- give account holders a way to opt out of wagering ads
ACMA says there’s no one-size-fits-all way to meet the ACMA triple lock. It will look at each provider’s size, risk profile and resources when judging what counts as “reasonable”.
ACMA also plans to publish a list of platforms that have the triple lock in place, so people can see which services take part. Providers that plan to rely on the exception are asked to tell ACMA, so it can keep them up to date as the Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register develops.
For platforms, the message is simple: get the ACMA triple lock in place before 1 January, or the betting ads have to go.
Read more: Celebrity faces to vanish from Australian gambling ads next year
General information only, not legal advice. Check the official source before acting.
Source: ACMA. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
