Today, Paul Fletcher, the Social Services Minister of Australia, has officially announced a new national register scheme for Australian people who are trying to exclude themselves from gambling.
The register is to be established to provide local residents with the chance to stop gambling by voluntarily excluding themselves from the entire available range of gambling platforms and applications as part of a wider range of stricter industry standards that the Government is to introduce over an 18-month period.
Australian state governments have welcomed the long-expected reforms aimed at tacking the possible negative effects of the quickly expanding online gambling industry. The measure is set to help people dealing with gambling addiction and boosting customer protection measures for local punters.
Speaking to @SkyNewsAust @tomwconnell about National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering; 10 strong, nationally consistent minimum protections for consumers of Australian online wagering services. More info here: https://t.co/0hnjzOwMpp #saferonlinebetting pic.twitter.com/9IYlFtZ61d
— Paul Fletcher (@PaulFletcherMP) November 30, 2018
As Mr. Fletcher has commented, Australian people were known for their long-lasting “cultural acceptance” and tolerance to gambling and added that gambling addiction among online gamblers has become three times bigger than problem gambling rates among players who prefer other gambling activities. The Australian Social Service Minister further noted that the package of regulatory measures were especially aimed at reducing the possible gambling-related harm which could be inflicted to both players and their families.
As the Government has revealed, the new standards will be brought to approximately 2.5 million active betting accounts registered online. The National Consumer Protection Framework would roll out a series of 10 minimum standards that would apply to all online betting operators which offer their services across the country.
New Register Scheme Comes as Part of Larger Gambling Measures Package
Online sports betting operations have risen to the fastest-growing type of gambling in Australia. According to reports, its popularity among local people rises by 15% on an annual basis – a growth that has fuelled some concerns within the federal government that the dangers of putting local players at risk of getting hooked on gambling could be considerably larger when it comes to online gambling operations.
As mentioned above, the measure is part of a larger package of gambling industry reforms that are being rolled out in Australia. As Mr. Fletcher has explained the measure could help problem gamblers take control of their compulsive gambling habits and stay away from the online gambling providers which currently operate nationwide. For the time being, there are about 130 online gambling companies which offer their services in the country.
This morning I spoke with @kochie_online about the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering; 10 strong, nationally consistent minimum protections for consumers of Australian online wagering services. More info here: https://t.co/fmutTpuSqc #saferonlinebetting pic.twitter.com/4C2tZ08x17
— Paul Fletcher (@PaulFletcherMP) November 30, 2018
The measure offers an unprecedented self-exclusion service for Australia, as local citizens will be given the chance to exclude from all operators’ platforms. Such a register and a one-click self-exclusion service has never been offered before in the country.
In addition, customers will be offered a voluntary self-exclusion scheme that would set certain betting limits at the time punters sign up on a gambling website. The authorities are also planning to come up with a measure that would suspend operators from offering various incentives to attract Australian people to register with their online betting platforms or refer a friend. In addition, stricter social responsibility measures would be imposed on bookmakers in order to ensure better protection for players.
- Author
Daniel Williams
