The New South Wales (NSW) government has announced a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising across all public transport assets in the state. This prohibition applies to Transport-owned and controlled assets, including internal and external advertising on trains, metro, buses, light rail, train stations, and ferry terminals.
Transport for NSW operates one of the largest portfolios of advertising assets in Australia, encompassing 798 advertising boards at Sydney train stations, 49 road-facing digital billboards, advertisements on up to 3,711 urban buses, 76 trams, and the Tangara train fleet.
The decision to ban gambling advertisements is part of a broader strategy to reduce gambling-related harm within the community. Concerns have been raised about the pervasive nature of gambling ads and their potential impact on vulnerable populations, including children and individuals struggling with gambling addiction. By eliminating these advertisements from public transport, the government aims to decrease the public's exposure to gambling promotion and mitigate associated harms.
This move aligns with previous measures implemented by the NSW government to regulate gambling advertising. Since 1 July 2024, venues have been prohibited from placing signage or advertisements for gaming machines on or visible from ATMs or EFTPOS terminals with cash withdrawal facilities. Additionally, ATMs and similar machines must now be placed at least five meters from the entry to a gaming room and not be visible from gaming machines.
The government will collaborate with multiple advertising contract holders to implement the required changes over the next 12 months.
Dr Burgess said the APS was "really keen to see each state government exercise social responsibility".
"We're after a cultural shift in the existing approach by the industry, which tends to glorify gambling and make it look like it's a game, when in fact it's a risk issue."
This initiative is the latest in a series of reforms introduced by the Minns Labor Government to reduce gambling harm. Previous reforms include reducing the statewide gaming machine entitlement cap, banning political donations from clubs with electronic gaming machines, and reducing the cash input limit on new gaming machines from $5,000 to $500.
