Gambling ads will be phased out from NSW public transport over the next year, under a new state government plan.
The Government also plans to remove betting ads from bus and train stations and terminals.
Official figures show people in NSW lost $2.25 billion on poker machines in the three months to September 2024, the largest amount on record.
Anti-gambling advocates welcomed the measure but called on the government to roll out more ambitious reforms, including cashless poker machines.
Gambling ads
There are roughly 800 billboards at train stations and 3,700 spots for advertisements on buses across NSW, as well as spots for ads on trains and trams.
Recently, the Government faced criticism after ads for betting company Picklebet appeared on trains around the state.
Ad ban
The Government willon its public transport network over the next 12 months.
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Casino, lottery, and online gambling ads will not be displayed from February 2026.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said these ads had become a “common sight” in recent years.
“Parents are rightly worried about the impact it has on their kids, so it’s not something that we think needs to be on our transport network,” she said.
Reaction
The NSW Council of Social Services welcomed the Government’s move, adding that it needed to consider more “serious”
CEO Cara Varian urged the government to consider implementing “cashless poker machines”, after recording massive losses in clubs and hotels last year.
Shadow Transport Minister Natalie Ward called it a “good move”, but told TDA: “It is really just window-dressing for the Premier’s inept response to problem gambling in NSW.”
