But, under current regulations, legal websites are not much safer than illegal ones for heavy gamblers. Many legal gambling operators do not have effective safeguards in place to prevent harm (Chapter 2). Gambling normalisation starts young, and sports betting advertising is a major culprit.
And disquiet about the proliferation of online gambling harm triggered the 2023 Murphy Inquiry, which made 31 recommendations supported by multi-partisan consensus – a rare feat. The federal government has taken more than 14 months to respond to the inquiry, but leaks last month on the potential response231 sparked protracted debate in the media, parliament, and Labor’s own caucus – showing how widespread the public support for reform is. Preventing gambling harm will reduce the gambling industry’s profits, so governments need to be prepared to stand up to strong vested interest pushback.
A person may appeal in writing to the Commission against the casino licensee’s decision to give the person an exclusion notice. All new games and amendments to current games must be approved by the Commission. The approval of the rules of the games by the Commission ensures that the casino games are fair and that the rate of return to players is reasonable.
This report mainly focuses on reducing the harm caused by pokies and betting. Other forms of gambling can undoubtedly be harmful, but are either lower risk113 or less common,114 so receive less attention in this report. Online casinos are banned in Australia due to concerns around losing your money and money laundering.
A roadmap to prevent gambling harm
The federal government has responsibility for online gambling but is yet to step up and really own this role. But people still cannot consistently self-exclude from all forms of gambling. Prohibited ‘interactive gambling services’ include a wide range of gambling activities facilitated by digital platforms, including online casinos, online poker, and live sports betting. Generally, any interactive game provided online for some financial benefit is likely to fit within the federal prohibition.
The federal government should ban all gambling advertising, sponsorships, and inducements. This blog examines the legality of online casinos in Australia including the federal prohibition on online interactive gambling services, state and territory approved exceptions and the legality of overseas based online casino operators. The gambling industry will push back on these reforms by denying the problems and stoking community fears. But this report shows that their trumped-up claims don’t withstand scrutiny. Federal and state governments should brave the vested interests and work together in the interests of all Australians to make gambling a safer, better bet. Many forms of online gambling services are outlawed federally in Australia under section 5 of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) (‘IGA’).
Coordinating reform across jurisdictions will make the changes simpler for people to navigate and strengthen governments to withstand vested interest pushback. This will be especially important given the roadmap will take several years to fully implement. Recent Royal Commissions, reviews of Australian casinos, and the NSW Crime Commission’s inquiry into money laundering through pokies have collectively sparked outrage around the country. A universal system may need to be administered by a national agency (as it is in Germany and Norway) to keep track of people’s nominated limits and spending across providers. Cashless gaming is currently a major focus for NSW, and is an important part of tackling money laundering via pokies,211 but is not an essential pre-cursor for mandatory pre-commitment. NSW stands out in having banned political donations from gambling businesses because of the potential for influence and perception of influence.167 But gambling interests in NSW still can and do donate at the federal level.
2.1 Mandate pre-commitment with maximum loss limits for online gambling and pokies
- Gambling normalisation starts young, and sports betting advertising is a major culprit.
- Since their introduction in Sydney in September last month, with $5,000 limits in some areas, average daily revenue has dropped more than 10 per cent when compared to the previous four weeks.
- Pursuant to Section 41 of the Casino Control Act 2006 a person must have a licence to work at the casino.
- Its accounts, delayed by a month, portrayed a company close to the edge as asset write-downs of more than $1.4 billion inflicted a full-year loss of almost $1.7 billion.
Whether you are registered with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register or still considering it, there are many other supports available if you want to take control of your gambling. You can nominate someone you know to support you while you are self-excluded. You can also access information about other gambling supports that are available. Over the past 3 years I’ve spoken to many people who have experienced a family member in a very similar situation as my brothers, losing their life savings and living in a delusional world where they believe they “didn’t have a problem with gambling”. Very sadly the only time many family members become aware about the true extent of the problem is when it is too late to be of any assistance. The history of advertising regulation suggests that Australian sport and broadcasters will adapt (see Box 8).
Setting a pre-commitment limit will add only a small friction to the sign-up process, and most people’s spending already falls under our proposed maximum limits. It is unlikely that there would be a major exodus to offshore providers to avoid these minor inconveniences. And in NSW – the state with almost as many pokies as the rest of the country combined – the most https://tom-boi.com/ recent state election was fought at least in part on pokies reforms. While the policies being debated were more focused on money laundering risks than gambling harm, both major parties brought policies to the table. There is a risk that some people in the grip of gambling addiction seek out unlicensed websites in a deliberate attempt to circumvent loss limits.
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