Tougher new gambling harm minimisation measures have been especially unveiled for online gambling and betting service providers by the Victorian Government, with the rules also being gladly welcomed by the Maribyrnong City Council.
The aforementioned measures include a requirement for online gambling service providers to provide their customers with monthly statements regarding the activity in their accounts. On the other hand, gambling companies’ employees would have to pass special training to promote responsible gambling to customers, under the program called Responsible Service of Wagering Training.
The City of Maribyrnong’s mayor Tran shared that the City Council supports any regulation that would have a positive effect on gambling-related harm and would minimise the possible negative consequences for the members of the local community, especially teenagers and vulnerable adults who are more susceptible to the negative effects of gambling. Such measures would help save people’s lives and relationships, not to mention their financial state, according to Mayor Tran.
As Maribyrnong’s mayor noted, the latest reports have shown that 5.8% of the overall population of the state of Victoria wagers on sports. On the other hand, research has shown that 11.5% (or just over one-fifth) of those players are aged between 18 and 24, while more than 70% (which is almost three-quarters) of them place their bets by using online gambling platforms and applications.
Mayor Tran believes that by holding online gambling operators that offer their services across the state, the Victorian Government takes an important step toward the minimisation of gambling-related harm in the local community.
Stricter Measures to Protect People from Gambling Harm Required by Local Residents
According to Maribyrnong’s mayor, the new responsible gambling rules also align with recent calls from anti-gambling campaigners and community members who have vocalised their concerns during a recent engagement on the City Council’s policy to reduce gambling-related harm. He further noted that an increasing number of local residents have been calling for more measures to be implemented in order for the broad negative effects and social costs of gambling to be reduced.
The Mayor also shared that many individuals, who have experienced gambling-related harm first-hand, have described gambling as a scourge on society, sharing stories of the enormous harm, stress, relationship breakdown, increased domestic violence and other negative effects, both financial and emotional, experienced by families and urged Maribyrnong City Council to boost its efforts to address the issue and minimise the impact gambling has on local people.
The new measures unveiled by the State Government are set to be expanded in order to make sure they apply to all gambling service providers that operate under a licence issued by Victorian regulatory bodies, even if they do not target local residents and provide their services in order states, so that more people are better protected from gambling-related harm. The restrictions are set to be enforced by the local gambling regulator – the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) – which is also set to ensure the first tranche of the National Consumer Protection Framework that was officially implemented in the state in 2019.
- Author
Daniel Williams
