Podcast: iGaming Daily | Australia’s Gambling Reform Bill 2026: What You Need to Know

The Australian regulatory landscape for the online gambling sector is about to change significantly.

Addisons Partner Jamie Nettleton joined iGaming Daily SBC Media Manager Charlie Horner and Ted Orme-Claye to discuss the evolving online gambling regulatory landscape in Australia on 1 April 2026.

On 1 May 2026, the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 (NZ) (Act) came into force. The Act establishes a new regulatory framework for online casino gambling in New Zealand.

From 1 July 2026, SMS messages sent using an unregistered branded sender ID will no longer display the relevant brand name. Instead, these messages will be labelled “Unverified” and grouped with other unregistered SMS messages, including potential scam messages.

The long-awaited exposure draft of the Privacy (Children’s Online Privacy) Code (was released by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 31 March 2026 for public consultation which will run for 60 days until 5 June 2026.

The Star Entertainment decision of the Federal Court provides important lessons for officers and non-executive directors. In particular, it re-iterates the importance of directors bringing an inquiring mind to their role, and engaging in active oversight of the organisation’s risk management and culture.

In the Australian regulatory environment, there is a high level of public awareness, media attention, and concern about probity and integrity issues in the gambling industry.

Businesses must register their “Sender ID” with their telco provider before 1 July 2026. The SMS Sender ID Register is intended to stop scammers impersonating well-known brands when sending branded text messages.

The ban will require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to ensure that children under the age of 16 are prohibited from creating or holding a social media account.

If leave is granted for the application to proceed, and particularly if a judgment is awarded in the company’s favour, the potential effects on gambling industry participants (including directors and officers of those participants) are significant. This potential dual exposure arising from both regulatory enforcement and shareholder-led recovery actions materially elevates the risk environment for directors and senior officers of gambling organisations.