Sport joins the program at Backing the Punt 2026
Backing the Punt has always been where the Australian wagering and racing industry comes to have its most important conversations. In 2026, that conversation expands.
For the first time, sports betting takes its place alongside racing and wagering in the official BTP program. The change reflects where the industry has arrived, and where it’s heading. Sport and racing no longer operate in separate commercial or regulatory worlds. They share operators, they share regulators, they share customers, and increasingly, they share the same compliance challenges. Presented by Senet, Australia's leading specialist gambling law and compliance firm, BTP 2026 brings together the sector's most senior participants across all three verticals on 2 and 3 September in Melbourne.
Why sports betting belongs in this conversation
The Australian sports betting market reached AUD 8.32 billion in 2025. Online platforms now account for nearly three quarters of all wagering activity. The AFL, NRL, cricket and tennis collectively represent the fastest-growing share of wagering turnover, alongside horse racing, which remains the single largest segment. The executives setting strategy across these products, and the regulators overseeing them, are in most cases the same people sitting across the table from each other. BTP 2026 addresses what that convergence means in practice - for commercial structure, for compliance obligations, and for how the sector positions itself through the changes ahead.
Sports integrity - a shared responsibility
A larger, more active sports betting market brings greater exposure to integrity risk, and the sector is responding accordingly. Sports Integrity Australia established a national task force in October 2025 to protect major sporting events from match-fixing, with a particular focus on the road to Brisbane 2032. Australia has also signed the Macolin Convention, committing to international cooperation between public authorities, sports organisations, and betting operators. The BTP 2026 will examine what those obligations look like in practice, how the growing offshore market complicates enforcement, and what racing and sports can learn from each other's experience.
The advertising reforms - preparing for January 2027
In April 2026, the Albanese Government announced the most significant overhaul of gambling advertising rules in Australian history. From 1 January 2027, wagering logos are banned from player uniforms and all stadium signage. Betting advertisements are blacked out during live sport broadcasts. Celebrity and athlete endorsements are prohibited across every medium. Gambling sponsorship revenue across the AFL, NRL and cricket is estimated at more than A$300 million annually - commercial arrangements that will need to be substantially restructured within 18 months. For wagering operators, the focus now shifts to understanding exactly what the new rules require and how to build customer engagement strategies that work within them. BTP 2026 brings operators, sporting bodies, and legal and compliance specialists together to work through what preparation looks like.
Product and technology - where the pressure now falls
As advertising channels narrow, the quality of product and customer experience becomes a more important competitive differentiator. Online in-play betting remains restricted under the Interactive Gambling Act, yet it represents a significant commercial opportunity that operators are actively working to understand. The regulatory boundary is being carefully tested: Tabcorp received approval to pilot in-play betting via mobile terminals in 2025, and ACMA issued a penalty in February 2026 for accepting prohibited online in-play bets. BTP 2026 will bring together product, technology, and regulatory perspectives on where these boundaries are heading and how operators can position themselves accordingly.
What to expect at BTP 2026
Now in its fourth year, Backing the Punt remains the only conference in Australia built by the sector, for the sector. The 2026 program spans C-Suite strategy, advertising reform, sports integrity, product innovation, and the convergence of racing, wagering and sports - with a speaker lineup drawn from the most senior levels of the industry. The expanded scope is a direct response to where the market is, and what the people who work in it need to be across.
