New South Wales bans gambling advertising on public transport

The New South Wales government has announced a ban on gambling advertisements across the state's public transport network, expanding its broader efforts to curb gambling harm.  

The ban, introduced by Premier Chris Minns’ Labor government, will apply to all casino, lottery, and online betting ads on state-owned transport assets, including trains, buses, metro services, light rail, ferry terminals, and train stations.  

The government will work with advertising contract holders over the next 12 months to phase out gambling ads from one of Australia’s largest public transport advertising networks.  

Transport for NSW manages a vast advertising portfolio across various public transport and infrastructure assets. This includes 798 advertising boards at train stations, 3,711 urban buses featuring advertisements, and 49 road-facing digital billboards. Additionally, advertising is displayed on 76 trams and throughout the Tangara train fleet.

The Minns government has stated that while the transition will take time, it is committed to working with transport advertising suppliers to enforce compliance with industry standards such as the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics.  

The government will also explore ways to extend the ban to privately owned advertising spaces, such as bus stops and retail outlets near public transport.  

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen defended the decision, citing public concern about children's exposure to gambling ads. "Gambling advertising has been a common sight on our public transport for years, and I’m pleased our government is taking action to remove it," Haylen said.  

"Parents are rightly worried about the impact it has on their kids," Haylen added. "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.”

NSW Gaming and Racing Minister David Harris emphasized that the ban aligns with broader gambling harm reduction measures. "This move will reduce the public’s exposure to gambling advertising and builds on the suite of reforms introduced over the past 20 months to reduce harmful impacts of gambling," Harris said.  

The ban is the latest in a series of gambling reforms introduced by the NSW government. These measures also include banning political donations from clubs with electronic gaming machines, reducing the cash input limit on new gaming machines, and a trial of cashless gaming in pubs and clubs throughout 2024, among others.