Media Giant Wants Compo If Gambling Ads Are Punted

Australian taxpayers ought to compensate the costs of a gambling advertising restriction to media companies' bottom lines, 9's chair states.


Nine Entertainment operated betting ads in a greatly regulated environment and had been in talks with government over the problem, Catherine West told investors at the group's yearly conference.


"If we are prohibited from having betting marketing, there's two things we would request for," she stated.


"Yes, some kind of settlement, some kind of some other reduction elsewhere, but most importantly, that the betting restriction is fair across all sectors."


A restriction that omitted tech business would only divert marketing profits offshore, she stated.


"Our biggest plea is is make it reasonable throughout the board, and don't disadvantage responsible Australian media business and enable a betting free-for-all in regards to the ad tech platforms," Ms West stated.


Gambling marketing earnings was in the low single digits as a portion of the group's profits and had actually been slipping for the previous three years, the chair said.


Polling shows about 3 in four Australians support a total ban on betting ads, but more 2 years after a landmark questions into betting damage, the Albanese government is still mulling its response to its 31 recommendations.


A shelved proposition from Labor included a restriction on gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts and an hour on either side, and a limitation of 2 an hour outside of this.


Frustrated with ongoing uncertainty, the gambling lobby is apparently pressing for age-based constraints for betting ads on social networks accounts and periods in an effort to avoid a blanket restriction.


Nine would comply with whatever marketing guidelines were bied far, Ms West said.


"Our company believe that betting across the society is a cumulative duty for all stakeholders," she said.


"It's government, it's the wager inspector, it's sports organisations, media and likewise the broader neighborhood."


SBS has has taken matters into its own hands, using streaming service viewers the capability to opt-out of particular advertising categories, consisting of gaming.


Nine had not thought about doing the same.


"That wouldn't work for our primary broadcast service, but we will continue to deal with the government and work towards implementing wherever they come to a landing on the gaming regulations," Ms West stated.


Nine prevented a 2nd investor strike against its compensation report on Friday, after its owners sent a message in 2024 over bullying and harassment allegations.


Its executive pay plan won the blessing of more than 4 in 5 investors, who also voted extremely to re-elect Peter Tonagh as a director.


Mr Tonagh is set change Ms West as chair, who will step down after 18 months in the role.


Multiple investors admired 9's monetary performance relative to its standard media peers, reinforced by development in its streaming platform Stan and the $3 billion sale of realty platform Domain to US business CoStar Group.