The Government of New South Wales (NSW) has urged gambling operators in the state to make sure their adverts carry the right messages about responsible gambling.
The move comes after Liquor and Gaming NSW handed out show cause notices to two gambling companies regarding some irregularities in their TV adverts, saying they have undermined some responsible gambling messages they have previously agreed upon.
The Executive Director of Regulatory Operations and Enforcement at the Liquor and Gaming NSW, Jane Lin, noted that betting operators in the state should make sure their advertising guarantees the right exposure to the messages to minimise the risk of gambling-related harm being inflicted on consumers. She further explained that in one instance, the responsible gambling message could barely be heard, while the rest of the advert was clearly audible. Another gambling company changed the tone of the responsible gambling message’s voice-over with a softer and more passive one.
The fact that such messages exist is exactly why the state’s gambling regulator is now urging gambling companies and their creative agencies to make sure the content of their ads is in line with the requirements for providing a clear harm-minimization message to customers and the broader community and advertise responsibly as a whole. As Ms Lin reminded, gambling operators have an important role when it comes to reducing the risk of gambling-related harm, and it starts with the way they advertise their services.
NSW-Licensed Gambling Operators Could Face Fine If They Fail to Comply
Currently, the inclusion of uniform responsible gambling messages in adverts of betting companies is required by Australia’s National Consumer Protection Framework (NCPF) for Online Wagering. Apart from that, the framework has been created to offer uniform minimum protections to all Australian customers who use online gambling services licensed in the country.
As a gambling regulatory body of the state, Liquor and Gaming NSW oversees the sector to make sure gambling companies in New South Wales stay in line with the framework’s requirements, including the ones that involve sending out responsible gambling messages. If there is evidence that companies did not meet the responsibility to get in contact with their customers and clearly communicate about gambling-related harm and its minimisation under the National Consumer Protection Framework, the NSW gambling watchdog can impose various disciplinary penalties, including prosecution.
If found guilty of violating the rules, gambling operators could face monetary penalties of as high as AU$110,000.
The state Government has been unhappy with the negligence of some gambling companies when it comes to the promotion of responsible gambling and gambling-related harm prevention. According to local officials, the irregularities undermine the lawmakers’ efforts to ensure and promote safer gambling in the region, which also exposes local gamblers to harm. The Government was not happy with the attempts made by some operators to circumvent the safer gambling rules by reducing the visibility of the responsible gambling messages, even though they are supposed to be standardised across the nation.
- Author
Daniel Williams
