Two words you won’t hear at the footy again after gambling crackdown

A two-word phrase that has become synonymous with sporting codes across the nation will be banned as part of a new crackdown.

Online gambling companies will have to scrap the phrase “gamble responsibly” by March next year and replace it with new taglines that prompt gamblers to consider the consequences of losing a bet.

Seven new taglines have been workshopped for advertising campaigns across TV, video, digital, radio, print and social media as well as outdoor advertising and promotional materials.

The new taglines include “Chances are you’re about to lose”; “Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?”; “What’s gambling really costing you?” and “What are you prepared to lose today? Set a deposit limit”.

Online gambling services Bet 365, Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and Pointsbet will all have to implement the new taglines.

Advertising campaigns for gambling will scrap the ‘gamble responsibly’ tagline by March 2023. Picture: George Salpigtidis/Racing via Getty Images

The taglines were informed by research commissioned by the federal Department of Social Services, which sought the views of 30 regular online gamblers, and agreed to by the commonwealth, states and territory governments under the National Consumer Protection Framework.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said online wagering was “fast becoming an increasing source of gambling and an increasing source of loss for people”.

“The Albanese Labor government is committed to harm minimisation and practical solutions when it comes to addressing problem online wagering. We have consulted widely and, importantly, we have used evidence to inform these taglines,” she said.

A consultancy firm found ‘Chances are you’re about to lose’ showed the most promise. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Companies were notified of the new taglines this week and will be required to take reasonable steps to give the taglines equal rotation over a 12-month period to mitigate against “message failure”, according to a department fact sheet.

Consultants Hall and Partners tested 10 taglines before whittling them down to seven.

The research found “rotating different messages in market reduces the likelihood of (consumers) ‘tuning out’ to the message in a short space of time, as was an often-reported response to the ‘gamble responsibly’ tagline”.

It found of the seven taglines, “Chances are you’re about to lose” showed the broadest promise.