Australian Capital Territory (Australia): gambling regulation and licensing

The Australian Capital Territory is regulated by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, which describes itself as an independent body established under section 5 of the Gambling and Racing Control Act 1999. That Act provides for the continued administration of the Territory's gambling and racing legislation and sets out the commission's powers, functions and activities. What distinguishes the commission is how far forward it puts harm. It states the prevention and reduction of gambling harm as core objectives, set out in a Strategy for Gambling Harm Prevention in the ACT framed explicitly as a public health approach, and it runs a school education programme, a community sector funding stream, a research function and a Gambling Harm Action Week. Publishing an exclusion support fact sheet and monthly gaming machine returns alongside those is a public-health posture more than a commercial licensing one. This profile records the commission and its statutory basis, and leaves the substantive detail as honest gaps. Vertical status, licence types, fees, tax treatment, advertising rules and compliance obligations have not yet been verified against primary sources. Readers should note that in Australia the online wagering an ACT resident can access is largely supplied under licences issued elsewhere, so a territory regulator's remit and a resident's actual choice of operator are two different things.

Regulator

ACT Gambling and Racing Commission

Regulator type

Sub-national body

Headline tax

Not yet verified

Licence required

Not yet verified

Minimum age

Not yet verified

Tax base

Not yet verified

Advertising permitted

Yes

Watershed

There is no clock-based watershed in force today. Broadcast codes restrict gambling advertising around live sport, and from 1 January 2027 the federal reforms ban wagering advertising during live sport coverage from 15 minutes before until five minutes after events shown between 05:00 and 20:30.

Affiliate rules

Affiliates are not separately licensed. From 1 January 2027 the federal reforms ban commissions to affiliates calculated on customer activity, which removes revenue share as it is commonly structured.

Sponsorship rules

Sponsorship is permitted today, with arrangements varying by sporting code. The federal reforms commencing on 1 January 2027 prohibit wagering advertising in sports venues.

Celebrity and influencer rules

Advertising must not be directed at minors. From 1 January 2027 the ban on commissions to staff or affiliates based on customer activity removes a central part of the influencer and affiliate model.

Social media rules

Online advertising is within scope of the Interactive Gambling Act where the service advertised is prohibited. From 1 January 2027 the reforms extend restrictions to online advertising generally and add an opt-out register.

Bonus advertising rules

Inducements are restricted, and the position varies by state. From 1 January 2027 the federal reforms restrict direct marketing of inducements to new account holders for 14 days, to people who left BetStop within three months, and to any customer identified as at risk.

Mandatory warnings

Wagering advertising must carry one of the mandated rotating taglines introduced on 30 March 2023, which replaced the single "gamble responsibly" message with stronger and more specific wording.

Penalties for breach

ACMA enforces the federal regime and can issue formal warnings, infringement notices and civil penalty proceedings. From 1 January 2027 its powers expand to include taking down advertisements. State regulators act against licensees separately.

1. ACT Gambling and Racing Commission

   ACT Government

   Tier 1Accessed 27 Aug 2026
2. Interactive Gambling Act 2001

   Federal Register of Legislation (Australia)

   Tier 1Accessed 29 Aug 2026Published 11 Jul 2001