April 2025: Australian Sports Law Update

Gambling Advertising in Live Sports - ACMA Enforcement Actions

If you’re a live sports fan, it’s almost certain that you have come across a gambling advertisement (…or two). For a while now, gambling advertisements have been a common feature of sports broadcasts. Whilst the Australian Government is in the process of considering reforms to further tighten Australia’s gambling advertising laws and regulations following the conduct of its review into online gambling in 2022-2023, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is increasingly using the regulatory powers and tools at its disposal to crack down on illegal gambling.

ACMA has undertaken two recent enforcement actions in relation to illegal gambling advertising during live coverage of sports events in Australia.

The first of these was against Foxtel / Kayo in relation to a gambling advertisement that appeared during the live coverage of an AFL match between Port Adelaide and Essendon on 5 April 2024.

The second relates to a number of gambling advertisements that appeared on Channel Ten during the broadcast of Practice Round 1 of the Australian Grand Prix in March 2024

We take a closer look at each of these enforcement actions and the outcomes in our article: Crackdown on Illegal Gambling Advertising in Australia - Bird & Bird

New Phase of Stakeholder Consultation for 2027 WADA World Anti-Doping Code

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is currently conducting the Third Consultation Phase for the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code & International Standards Update Process. Stakeholders are invited to submit feedback on the second drafts of the updated Code and Standards by 30 May 2025.

Key changes in this second draft, as outlined in the WADA’s Summary of Major Changes, build upon the amendments suggested in prior drafts and include:

• More specific references to human rights;
• Expanded protections for minors;
• An increased focus on the responsibility of Athlete Support Personnel;
• Clarification of when Athlete consent is required for research on their samples;
• The introduction of an Independent Review Expert to implement recommendations of Eric Cottier’s report;
• The establishment of a uniform appeal deadline;
• An expanded definition of NADO Operational Independence; and
• An invitation for further discussion regarding Public Disclosure.

Stakeholders affected by these changes (and those previously put forward in the prior drafts) are encouraged to review the material and submit feedback to WADA.

For more, please see our article: WADA You Think? Have Your Say on the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code

Sport Integrity Australia’s National Principles for Child Safe Organisations

In March 2025, Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) introduced the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (Child Safe Principles) which set out a nationally consistent approach to promoting a culture of child safety and wellbeing within organisations.

The ten principles are:

1. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
2. Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them, and are taken seriously.
3. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
5. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
6. Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.
7. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
8. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
9. Implementation of the National Child Safe Principles is regularly reviewed and improved.
10. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

The aim of the Child Safe Principles is to provide a set of principles to help sporting clubs:

• Build safer and more positive environments for children and young people;
• Minimise risks of abuse and harm to children and young people;
• Foster a sporting culture that prioritises child safeguarding; and
• Set a benchmark for child safeguarding capability, and assist with guiding ongoing improvement.

More information is available at: Helping sporting clubs apply National Child Safe Principles.

International Intelligence and Investigations Capabilities Continue to Develop in Oceania Region

In March, Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) and WADA hosted the inaugural workshop of phase 2 in the WADA Intelligence & Investigations Department’s Capability and Capacity Building Project for the Asia and Oceania region. Held on the Gold Coast, this five-day workshop gathered experts from law enforcement, border protection, and National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) to enhance intelligence and investigations capabilities.

Participants included representatives from Australia, the Oceania Regional Anti-Doping Organization (ORADO), Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

The goal of the workshop was to bolster capacity in the region and forge connections between NADOs and law enforcement agencies, and disrupt the supply, trafficking and availability Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDs) due to the health risks they pose to athletes. WADA and SIA have emphasised the strategic importance of expanding anti-doping intelligence and investigations capabilities across Asia and Oceania  given the growing population of athletes and the region's increasing influence on the global sporting stage leading up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

The event was timely, as a recent operation led by ABF Investigations in Queensland resulted in the seizure of about $300,000 in cash and over ten kilograms of PIEDs.

Future workshops in the project will be conducted across Asia and the Middle East, culminating in a final conference in India.

Our full-service Asia-Pacific sports practice is well placed to work with anti-doping organisations across the Oceania region and assist with best practice investigations.

This article was written with the assistance of Alexander Chau.