The true value of the annual gambling spend in Australia is likely more than $300 million. SMI measures advertising bought through Australia’s major media agencies, but betting companies buy their digital and social media advertising through in-house teams so would not be included.

QMS and JCDecaux’s new pitch comes as TikTok effectively ended its ban on gambling advertising, allowing wagering giants Entain – through its Neds and Ladbrokes brands – and Tabcorp, through Dabble, to sell ads. It had already been doing a pilot with Sportsbet.

“The current on-platform gambling trial has been recently extended to include three additional organisations. The strictly controlled advertising project is limited to ads, user-generated content is not permitted,” a TikTok Australia spokeswoman said.

The Chinese company, which more than doubled revenue in 2022 to $173.9 million, said companies would only be able to target users older than 21, adding it intended to add a frequency cap and an opt-out feature for those who wanted to stop seeing wagering advertising.

A spokesman for QMS said the company operated within the rules.

“QMS works with a number of existing wagering clients, and recently responded to a client brief within this category,” he said. “QMS operates within all industry guidelines and category restrictions as determined by government and the Outdoor Media Association.”

A spokeswoman for JCDecaux said the out-of-home sector had some of the strictest advertising rules in the media.

“These include self-regulation to introduce a placement policy preventing wagering advertising within 150 metres of a school,” she said. “JCDecaux staff regularly engage with agencies and advertisers to educate them on creating effective and compliant out-of-home campaigns.”