A major Australian gambling agency, Sportsbet, has suspended its advertising on Spotify following reports of gambling ads playing between children's songs. The incident came to light when a father reported hearing Sportsbet advertisements while playing Disney songs for his children on his personal account.

While Spotify maintains that gambling ads are restricted to users aged 18 and above, this incident has sparked serious concerns about ad placement near children's content. The father reported hearing these ads between popular children's content, including songs from Moana, Frozen, Bluey, and The Wiggles.

The concerned parent called for Spotify to implement an opt-out feature for gambling advertisements, particularly citing Australia's federal ban on social media for users under 16. He emphasized the risk of normalizing gambling behavior among impressionable young listeners.

In response, Sportsbet has temporarily halted its Spotify advertising campaign while the issue is investigated. A company spokesperson stated, "Sportsbet's advertising uses age-gating measures and excludes kids and family content as an additional control. We are disappointed this has happened."

Recent research highlights broader parental concerns about gambling advertising:

• A survey of 455 Australian parents revealed that 70% expressed concern about gambling ad prevalence
• 27.7% were "extremely" concerned
• 12.7% were "slightly" concerned

Professor Samantha Thomas from Deakin University advocates for a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising, similar to tobacco advertising restrictions. The incident has prompted calls for federal legislation to ban gambling advertisements as early as next year.

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