IAB Australia Calls for Considered Response to Online Gambling

IAB Australia has called for a considered response to the online gambling recommendations issued by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs.

Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia, said: “We recognise there is community concern in relation to ‘saturation’ gambling advertising which needs to be addressed and we are willing to work constructively with the Government to make that happen. However, we are concerned that the Committee’s recommendation to impose an outright ban on all advertising is not a proportionate response.

“There are a range of tools available to manage the delivery of ads online and we would urge the Government to give further thought to how these can best be utilised to reduce the volume of gambling advertising.

“In the current economic climate, any advertising restrictions will affect the industry’s ability to support the delivery of freely available content and services online. Outright bans will have a significant negative impact across the market.

“We are pleased that the Government has indicated it will take time to consider the committee’s Report before responding. We look forward to working with Government to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved in a sustainable way.”