The Seven Network aired 49 betting promotions during its Olympics coverage last year in breach of broadcasting rules that dictate that no gambling advertising can be shown during sporting events.
The broadcaster was also found to have made gambling advertisements available on its live stream of the Olympics, according to an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma).
Seven told Acma “over 1m individual gambling ‘impressions’” were run nationally across the three gambling campaigns streamed on 7plus during its live coverage of the Olympic Games.
In a separate investigation, Acma found the Nine Network also broke the rules by airing a gambling advertisement at 8.21pm during the half-time break of the NRL grand final in 2021.
The findings come a month after the announcement of a federal parliamentary inquiry into online gambling that will include reviewing the effectiveness of current gambling advertising restrictions on limiting children’s exposure to gambling products and services.
Nielsen research found an average of 948 gambling ads were broadcast daily on free-to-air TV in Victoria alone last year.
Acma’s investigation of Seven found that throughout the Tokyo Olympics in July and August 2021, the network aired multiple betting promotions in its Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide broadcasts.
The legislation says broadcasters are restricted from showing gambling advertising during their coverage of live sporting events aired between 5am and 8.30pm after which time gambling ads can be shown but are restricted to defined breaks.
During events like the Olympics ads must not be shown from five minutes before the start of the first event of the day until 8.30pm, and not more than once every two hours after that time. The rules apply to live streams too.
The Acma chair, Nerida O’Loughlin, said Australians are increasingly concerned about the potentially harmful nature of gambling advertising and the authority would be writing to the parliamentary inquiry.
“These rules exist to address community concerns about excessive exposure to betting promotions,” O’Loughlin said. “Both Seven and Nine are well aware that they have to keep these ads to certain times.
“Many families enjoy watching sport as a shared activity and parents worry that children exposed to these ads may normalise betting as a part of sport. It is disappointing that both networks have failed to meet their responsibilities on such high-profile sporting events.”
Seven, which reported the breaches, told Acma the “unprecedented number of events being shown concurrently on more than 45 broadcast and digital channels, across several different timezones” made for a complex operation.
“Whilst I know that that’s no excuse for the breach, I did want to give some context to the hardworking team who are working night and day to provide Australians with the very best and most comprehensive Olympics coverage in Australian television history,” a Seven manager told Acma.
Both networks have signed a court-enforceable undertaking with Acma that says if they fail to comply, the authority will take them to the federal court to impose financial penalties.
Seven declined to comment.