Australia to Launch New Self-Exclusion Register to Curb Gambling Harm

The betting hall at Wentworth Park in Sydney, Australia, on July 16, 2016. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

The Australian government will launch a national self-exclusion register to help people break away from gambling addiction following an alarming report on online gambling risk in the country.

From Aug. 21, Australians can access BetStop, a free service that allows people to voluntarily exclude themselves from all licensed online betting companies nationwide.

The exclusion period can range from a minimum of three months to a lifetime.

When BetStop commences operation, all 150 licensed Australian online betting companies will be prohibited from opening accounts for, accepting bets from or sending marketing materials to self-excluded individuals.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland touted the new register as a “game-changer,” saying it would support other gambling reform policies introduced by the government.

“BetStop is the last of ten measures to be implemented under the national consumer protection framework for online wagering to empower Australians through stronger consumer protections,” she said in a statement.

“The launch of Australia’s first national self-exclusion register, BetStop, is a game-changer and will make it easy for vulnerable consumers to self-exclude from online wagering services.”

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said BetStop and other measures under the National Consumer Protection Framework would help minimise online gambling harm.

“We know minimising the harm caused by online gambling is not a set-and-forget exercise, and I look forward to working with my state and territory counterparts on what comes next to continue this positive change,” she said.

New Requirements for Online Gambling Companies

With the introduction of BetStop, the government will also require online gambling companies to verify a customer’s identity when they register for a new account and before they can place a bet.

This is a step up from the current legislation, under which wagering service providers must verify their customers’ identity within 72 hours.

Online gambling companies will also be compelled to promote BetStop, including on their websites and apps and via marketing material to customers.

In addition, the government will run an awareness campaign to promote the register to the wider public.

A TAB betting shop is seen in a shopping arcade in Sydney, Australia, on April 19, 2017.
(Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images)

Following the announcement, Carol Bennett, the CEO of Alliance for Gambling Reform, whose mission is to prevent gambling harm, said the government should have introduced BetStop much earlier.

“For far too long, Australia has had an ineffective patchwork of self-exclusion programs that have been poorly enforced,” she said.

“It has allowed the predatory gambling industry to continue to offer unethical inducements to people who have said they wanted to stop gambling.”

Meanwhile, Kai Cantwell, the CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia, a peak industry body representing licensed wagering service providers, welcomed the roll-out of BetStop and said the industry would work with the government to ensure the successful launch of the register.

“Around Melbourne Cup is always a popular time for people to put a bet and enjoy the best of Australian racing, but we must ensure that the BetStop technology is tested and capable of being used at one of the busiest times in the calendar,” he said.

“We implore the Australian Communications and Media Authority to work closely with providers on load testing and ensuring there are no gaps.”

Alarming Report on Online Gambling Harm

BetStop’s launch comes after a parliament committee released a report on online gambling harm in Australia.

The report revealed alarming figures on gambling losses and risks associated with the activity.

Specifically, it found Australians lost the most money to online gambling, per capita, in the world, with total expenditure on online gambling reaching $9.56 billion (US$6.39 billion) in 2022.

In comparison, Australians spend around $25 billion each year on all forms of gambling.

At the same time, online gambling has increasingly become popular among the population as the percentage of Australians engaging in this activity soared from 12.6 percent in 2010-2011 to 30.7 percent in 2019.

The report also found that Australians gambling online were significantly more likely to report experiencing any harm (34 percent) than those who only gamble on land-based forms (15.6 percent).

Among its recommendations, the report advised the government to introduce a total ban on online betting advertising, which relevant departments are considering.

Ms. Rowland said the government was working through the recommendations as quickly as possible.

“Industry is well aware of the comments that I have made on the record, that the status quo is unsustainable,” she said.

“But we will work through all of these stakeholder consultations, ensuring that at all times we adhere, to the utmost, to the principle of harm minimisation.”