Gambling operators could be forced to make a major change to their mobile apps under the provisions of proposed new pieces of legislation. Reportedly, they would be required to check whether they were accepting the proceeds of crime and to make sure they inform customers about their losses as part of massive reforms aimed at protecting Australian residents from becoming victims of problem gambling behaviour.
Andrew Wilkie, a Tasmanian crossbencher and a long-time anti-gambling advocate, has joined forces with another independent Member of Parliament – Rebekha Sharkie – to urge the Albanese Government to bring changes to the local gambling laws. Mr Wilkie MP criticised the gambling industry for the detrimental impact it could have on individuals, families, and entire communities following the first meeting of a group seeking to tackle gambling-related harm held its first meeting in Canberra’s Parliament House in the middle of the week.
According to the Australian anti-gambling campaigner, politicians need to stop talking about problem gamblers and start acting against “predatory gambling operators” that prey on local residents, encourage their gambling, help gambling addiction flourish, and, eventually, generate billions on the gamblers’ backs.
The crossbenchers now call for the Government to suspend online gambling operators from accepting credit cards for gambling transactions, to bring further restrictions on gambling ads on TV channels, and introduce special pop-up messages on mobile betting applications reminding users of the amount they had already lost. A number of other demands are also on the list.
Private Member’s Bills Tabled by Andrew Wilkie MP and Rebekha Sharkie MP
Both Mr Wilkie and Ms Sharkie currently have tabled a private member’s Bill on gambling reform before the Parliament. They have pledged to continue urging the Federal Government to be more proactive and actually do more in order to protect local customers. According to Mr Wilkie, the relatively new Government seems to be willing to make some reforms, at least as far as online gambling and sports betting go, so he said he remained hopeful about some future changes that may occur.
The private member’s Bill sponsored by Mr Wilkie would seek to place a positive legal obligation on online gambling operators, forcing them to execute some checks to make sure that the money being gambled is not the proceeds of criminal activity. If it is found that such money had been the proceeds of crime, a federal judge could order a gambling operator to restore the money from its own coffers to the original crime’s victim.
On the other hand, the private member’s Bill sponsored by Ms Sharkie seeks to immediately suspend the use of credit cards for online gambling transactions. It will also require mobile gambling applications to show pop-up windows to remind users exactly what losses they have accumulated over the past financial year. The lawmaker explained that all of the required information to make such warnings was already available to gambling companies, so it would not be too difficult for them to put up in the proposed pop-up windows.
Previously, the Labour Government has shared its intentions to ban credit card transactions for online gambling services. Apart from that, it was announced that a self-exclusion register for problem gamblers will be established, however, Prime Minister Antony Albanese has noted that other issues, including poker machine protections, are an issue that should be taken into consideration by the states individually.
A parliamentary inquiry that is set to provide the Federal Government with recommendations on online gambling and its effects on people facing gambling-related harm is expected to have its next public hearing hosted before the end of March.
- Author
Olivia Cole
