The Seven Network Operations Ltd (Seven) has been found to have breached online content rules following an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
During a live stream of an NFL American Football game on the 7plus platform, a gambling advertisement was shown at 10.38am, which violated Australian law.
This breach occurred in December 2022, just two months after Seven received a formal warning from the media regulator for a similar incident.
Under Australian law, gambling promotions are prohibited from being shown during live streams of sporting events between 5am and 8.30pm. Additionally, they are not allowed to be displayed during the five minutes before and after a game.
As a consequence of the breach, Seven has been fined a penalty of AU$13,320, which is the maximum amount that ACMA can apply in this case.
Seven has claimed that the streaming of the advertisement was an isolated event and has taken steps to prevent future errors. These measures include implementing additional oversight and training.
ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin acknowledged public concerns about the excessive exposure to gambling advertising. She emphasized that broadcasters should have effective systems, processes, and assurance mechanisms in place to ensure compliance with the relevant laws.
Seven has assured ACMA that the measures it has implemented are sufficient to ensure future compliance. However, due to repeated breaches, ACMA will continue to closely monitor Seven’s compliance.
In recent data published by ACMA, it was revealed that there were over one million gambling advertisements on Australian free-to-air television and radio within a 12-month period. Of these advertisements, 502,800, accounting for 50%, were from licensed online gambling operators.
The total spending on these advertisements amounted to AU$238.6 million.
Earlier this year, ACMA issued a formal warning to sports streaming service Kayo for breaching gambling advertising rules. Kayo had displayed gambling ads during an Australian Football League (AFL) match in May 2022, within a five-minute window of play commencing and during breaks.
