Australia’s media regulator has discovered that SBS broke playing promoting guidelines when it carried a Crown Resorts business throughout reside protection of the 2025 Tour de France.
The choice, accomplished on March 31, 2026, targeted on a 30-second Crown Sydney commercial proven throughout the biking broadcast. ACMA decided the business amounted to playing promoting and was screened throughout a interval when such promotions weren’t permitted.
A Crown Sydney commercial that largely showcased eating places, lodging and leisure experiences appeared to air throughout the time. The business ended, nonetheless, with the outline: “Sydney’s premier on line casino resort.” Viewers within the Sydney market noticed the commercial throughout SBS protection of the Tour de France in July 2025.
Tour de France Crown Sydney advert crossed line underneath reside sport playing guidelines
ACMA stated the Tour de France met the definition of a Lengthy Type Dwell Sporting Occasion underneath the relevant business framework. Beneath these restrictions, playing commercials might solely seem earlier than play, throughout scheduled or unscheduled breaks, or after play between 8.30pm and 5am.
In line with the regulator, the Crown commercial containing the “on line casino resort” wording couldn’t depend on an exemption out there to venues that provide playing alongside eating and leisure. ACMA concluded the business drew consideration to playing in a method that immediately promoted its availability.
“The point out of ‘on line casino’ instantly focuses the thoughts of the viewer on the on line casino (playing) actions supplied by Crown,” the ACMA stated in its report.
The authority stated the wording inspired viewers to treat playing as one other exercise provided on the venue. Due to that, it fell exterior the exemption.
ACMA contrasted the Sydney model with two different Crown commercials broadcast throughout the occasion. One commercial utilized in different markets didn’t embody the “on line casino resort” phrase, whereas one other consisted of sponsorship references related to SBS’s Tour de France companion program, Plat du Tour. These commercials have been discovered to adjust to the foundations.
SBS pushed again strongly throughout the investigation. In a submission dated January 30, 2026, the broadcaster argued the business was “unambiguously targeted on culinary, hospitality and lodging experiences” and contained “no playing imagery, language or behavioural prompts”.
“The visuals consist solely of eating experiences, meals preparation, lodging and leisure facilities at Crown,” SBS instructed the regulator, including that there have been no depictions of gaming flooring, betting interfaces, desk video games or gambling-related language.
The broadcaster additionally maintained that “on line casino resort” was merely an correct description of a mixed-use venue. SBS additional argued that accountable playing messaging and assumptions about public perceptions of the Crown model shouldn’t decide whether or not an commercial certified for the exemption.
ACMA rejected these arguments. It stated an inexpensive viewer would affiliate Crown with playing and that describing the venue as a “on line casino resort” pointed to playing companies. The regulator added that different wording, comparable to “lodge resort”, may have been used if the intention was to advertise lodging and leisure alone.
The discovering concluded that SBS breached clause 3.4 of Appendix 3 of the Business Tv Trade Code of Observe. The investigation started after ACMA monitoring of Tour de France protection recognized the commercial.
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