Online gambling operators will be required to implement new mandatory advertising taglines under the National Consumer Protection Framework’s new set of rules. The decision for the move has been based on new behavioural research that has been carried out alongside a current increase in problem gambling rates in online punters in Australia.
The changes have been officially announced by the social services minister Amanda Rishworth earlier today, with the Federal Government promoting the rules as the first set of nationally-consistent messages in terms of the potential harm that could be inflicted on online gamblers.
For the time being, online gambling operators are required to promote responsible gambling to their users. As of early 2023, online gambling companies will be forced to run a set of new responsible gambling messages in adverts they share via radio and TV channels, mobile applications, social media, websites, or both print and digital advertising.
Under the new set of rules, online gambling operators’ responsible gambling messages will have to include seven new taglines:
- What are you really gambling with?
- Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?
- You win some. You lose more.
- Imagine what you could be buying instead.
- What are you prepared to lose today? Set a deposit limit.
- Chances are you’re about to lose.
- What’s gambling really costing you?
In most cases, the adverts have to be accompanied by a message providing gamblers with contact information for confidential support for problem gambling and gambling-related harm.
Tagline Changes as First Nationally-Consistent Set of Responsible Gambling Messages
Under the rules of the consumer protection framework’s updated version, gambling companies in Australia will be required to make sure that the seven aforementioned taglines are in full rotation over a 12-month period in order to mitigate the customers’ “message fatigue”.
The social services minister Amanda Rishworth explained that online gambling was quickly turning into an increasing source of gambling and, logically, an increasing source of loss for people. Ms Rishworth further noted that the new taglines that need to be implemented in responsible gambling promotion were based on consultations and evidence.
As mentioned above, the new responsible gambling taglines have been unveiled after extensive behavioural research. The Federal Government has recently started a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and gambling-related harm that is set to examine existing customer protections of operators, as well as the counselling and support services available to users. The inquiry is also aimed at checking whether stricter rules should be extended to various gambling-like activities, such as social casino games, or in-game items in video games, such as loot boxes.
Previously, the Australian Government confirmed that the country has the highest gambling loss rates on a global scale, with a reported average of AU$1,276 per person per annum. Gambling addiction rates, on the other hand, have more than doubled in less than a decade, from 0.6% of the country’s adult population in 2011 to 1.23% in 2019. As revealed in a report from Central Queensland University, when it comes to problem gambling rates among online users, the figure is even higher, at 3.9% of all online gamblers in comparison to 1.4% of pokie players.
As revealed by the country’s Government, the interactive gambling market’s estimated size is worth AU$6.3 million, while the electronic gambling market is worth about AU9 billion.
- Author
Daniel Williams
