Gambling ad spend has remained flat across social media platforms, despite coming gambling reforms.
The reforms will from January 2027 restrict gambling advertising across broadcast television, radio and celebrity endorsements.
Under them, online gambling advertising on social media will be permitted only where users verify they are over 18 and have the opportunity to opt out, similar to existing e-safety restrictions.
Following the announced reforms, some had argued the lighter restrictions on social media could prompt gambling advertisers to shift spend away from broadcasters to digital channels.
That has not happened.
Guideline SMI APAC confirmed gambling brands rank outside the top 30 categories by social media ad spend.
"Gambling brands are one of the smaller categories spending on social media in Australia, with their total spend to social representing less than 1% of all social media ad spend in Q1 2026,” said Jane Ractliffe, managing director at Guideline SMI APAC.
"Guideline SMI reports ad spend for 43 product categories and in terms of the dollar amount spent on social, the Gambling category is not even in the top 30.”
The finding runs counter to warnings raised during the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs' initial phase, which cautioned that without implementing the recommendations in full, the government risked "the adoption of restrictions in one place or time results in an increase in advertising elsewhere."
A spokesperson for The Lott, the gambling corporation behind Powerball, OzLotto and others, told AdNews the company had not increased spend on social media platforms.
"We aim to maintain a consistent advertising presence utilising a wide range of advertising channels," the spokesperson said.
"Our advertising investment is consistent, generally increasing in line with jackpot amounts and promotional activity.
"There has been no material change in the advertising mix toward a particular channel, such as social media.
"The Lott will continue to operate within the legal and regulatory framework, including our approach to advertising."
Despite this, some social media users have reported seeing more gambling advertising in their feeds than in previous months, something TikTok attributed to the volume of major sporting events rather than any increase in category spend.
"There has been a lot going on in sport — World Cup, State of Origin, UFC etc — so it may have felt like an increase," said a TikTok spokesperson.
The spokesperson told AdNews TikTok only permitted paid advertising rather than user-generated content for gambling, with all ads targeted at users aged 18 and over.
"We only allow ads and no UGC (user generated content). All ads are targeted at 18 plus," the spokesperson said.
"There is a frequency cap which limits the number of ads that you will see. We have an opt out function for people who don't wish to see these ads, and we comply with AANA and ACMA requirements."
AdNews understands neither Meta nor TikTok had experienced an increase in gambling ad spend, following the reform announcement.
AdNews has approached other gambling companies and social media networks who declined to comment.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.