NSW: Minns Government Moves to Ban Gambling Advertising from Trains

The Minns Government has moved to ban gambling advertising on public transport in NSW.

The prohibition applies to Transport owned and controlled assets, including internal and external advertising on trains, metro, buses, light rail, train stations and ferry terminals.

Transport operates one of the largest portfolios of advertising assets across Australia. This includes 798 advertising boards at Sydney train stations, 49 road facing digital billboards, adverts on up to 3711 urban buses, 76 trams and across the Tangara train fleet.

The ban extends to all casino, lottery and online betting advertising.

The NSW Government will now work with multiple advertising contract holders to implement the required changes over the next 12 months.

Transport’s advertising suppliers must ensure that all advertising material complies with all applicable laws, accepted industry standards and codes of conduct established by the advertising industry for example, the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Advertiser Code of Ethics and AANA Code of Ethics Practice Note.

There are also additional rules that apply to Transport’s contract holders. These include a ban on political advertising on all assets, which applies equally to all political parties.

Where assets are not owned by Transport (e.g. bus stops, retail outlets or nearby private property), the NSW Government will work with the relevant entitles to see how their advertising can align with the gambling advertising ban.

This is the latest in a suite of reforms introduced by the Minns Labor Government to reduce gambling harm. The reforms include:

• reducing the statewide gaming machine entitlement cap in June 2023

• banning political donations from clubs with electronic gaming machines on 1 July 2023

• reducing the cash input limit on new gaming machines from $5000 to $500 on 1 July 2023

• banning all external gambling signage in venues on 1 September 2023

• banning the placement of any signage or advertising relating to gaming machines either on, or visible from an ATM or EFTPOS terminal with cash withdrawal facilities and introduced Responsible Gambling Officers for venues with more than 20 machine entitlements, on 1 July 2024

• requiring Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) or EFTPOS terminals that allow cash withdrawals to be placed at least 5m from the entry to a gaming room and not be visible from any machine or entry to a gaming room, from 1 January 2025

• established an Independent Panel to conduct a trial of cashless gaming in pubs and clubs throughout 2024

• committing $100 million to harm minimisation – investing in research, treatment, services and reform.

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said: “Gambling advertising has been a common sight on our public transport for a couple of years now, and I’m pleased our Government is taking action to remove it. Parents are rightly worried about the impact it has on their kids, so its not something that we think that needs to be on our transport network.

“With over 3500 buses, close to 800 advertising assets at train stations, as well as advertising on light rail and trains, Transport’s advertising contracts are vast. Because of the scale it will take some time to implement this change, but we will be working closely with our contract partners over the next 12 months to get this done.”

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said: “Removing gambling advertising from public transport is another demonstration of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to reducing gambling harm in NSW.

“This move will reduce the public’s exposure to gambling advertising and builds on the suite of reforms the government has introduced over the past 20 months to reduce harmful impacts of gambling.”