In principle, SBS accepts all advertising that complies with relevant legal and regulatory requirements, with limited exceptions (see Guideline 4.3, SBS Commercial, Funding and External Relationships Guidelines).
The advertising of betting and gambling services is highly regulated in Australia. SBS is subject to a number of strict restrictions regarding both the content and placement of these types of advertisements across all of its services – TV, radio and digital/online:
- SBS complies with rules that restrict the promotion of odds and commercials relating to betting and gambling in live sports coverage - see below for what restrictions are in place for betting and gambling advertisements in live sports coverage.
- SBS follows the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice which restricts the timing and placement of commercials relating to betting and gambling in G classified content and content that is principally directed to children at certain times of the day.
SBS requires all betting and gambling advertising to comply with other relevant legal and regulatory requirements, including the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Wagering Advertising Code. The object of this Code is to ensure that advertisers maintain a high sense of social responsibility in the way they advertise wagering products in Australia. For example, by not depicting young people in any advertising, and not portraying, condoning or encourage participation in wagering activities as a means of relieving a person’s financial or personal difficulties.
A summary of these regulations and standards is provided on the Australian Communication and Media Authority’s (ACMA) website and the advertising industry’s Ad Standards website.
SBS has additional safeguards in place to address community concerns about betting and gambling services. SBS takes a responsible approach to managing the placement of advertisements for products that have the potential to have a harmful effect on members of the community due to other circumstances of vulnerability.
SBS also addresses social issues such as problem gambling in its editorial coverage on programs such as Insight.
SBS’s approach to betting and gambling advertising balances its role of examining issues of public interest, while also ensuring that its advertising activity complies with restrictions that seek to minimise harm.
SBS is currently offering SBS On Demand subscribers greater control of what advertising they receive in certain advertising categories. This new feature will significantly reduce the number of video advertisements served to you for your selected category. SBS On Demand subscribers will be given the option to select one category to opt-out of:
- Betting / Wagering excluding Lotteries or
- Alcohol or
- Quick Service Restaurants
If you are interested in the new opt-out feature, please click here.
What restrictions are in place for betting and gambling advertising in live sports coverage?
SBS TV and radio broadcasting services
Under the SBS Code of Practice, SBS follows the relevant industry standards which restrict the promotion of odds and commercials relating betting and gambling in live sports events broadcast on SBS’s TV and radio services (section 4.2.1):
- TV - Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice (Appendix 3: Restrictions on Promotion of Odds and Commercials relating to Betting and Gambling which are broadcast during a Live Sporting Event
- Radio - Commercial Radio Code of Practice (Section 9 Promotion of gambling and betting odds in live sports coverage
SBS digital/online services
SBS digital/online services are subject to similar rules to those that apply to SBS’s TV and radio broadcasting services. The rules for digital/online content service providers are set out in the Broadcasting Services (Online Content Service Provider) Rules 2018.
A summary of these regulations and standards is provided on the Australian Communication and Media Authority’s (ACMA) website.