Soft-touch gambling reforms will keep money flowing to media giants, sports

July 6, 2026 — 3:53pm

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Here is a paradox. A week after the government announced details of its bill to introduce greater restrictions on sports betting advertisements, it looks like Foxtel and Nine Entertainment are about to make history, signing a reportedly combined circa $5.3-plus billion deal to broadcast the NRL.

It begs the question: Does this anti-gaming advertising legislative package have much effect on the economics of the media companies that feed off gambling advertising?

For broadcast networks, marquee sports have become their programming lifeblood and gambling advertising is a meaningful contributor to that revenue – although the networks generally don’t call out how much.

Of course, media and gaming companies have lobbied hard to retain the status quo in relation to where and how much advertising inventory they can place, and its proximity to the game. In the government’s latest proposed changes, the media and gaming companies........

© The Sydney Morning Herald