The Australian federal government has announced that a national self-exclusion register for online gambling will launch on August 21st, 2023.
The new service called ‘BetStop’ will be available in all states and will allow gamblers to self exclude from all forms of online gambling by filling out one form. Current exclusion programs have been criticized in the past for failing to include all legal online gambling websites.
The register was first legislated for in 2018 but was delayed when the company behind its implementation went into administration.
However, the program is now ready for launch and was officially unveiled at Parliament House by communications minister, Michelle Rowland.
Speaking of the program, Rowland said:
“The launch of Australia’s first national self-exclusion register, BetStop, is a game changer, and will make it easy for vulnerable consumers to self-exclude from online wagering services.
BetStop is the last of 10 measures to be implemented under the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering to empower Australians through stronger consumer protections.”
She later added that all bookmakers must clearly display information on the program:
“Wagering service providers must promote BetStop, including on their websites and apps, and via marketing material to customers. A public awareness campaign will be run by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to promote BetStop.”
As part of the new program, all betting companies must also require that new customers must first prove their identity before placing any bets. At present, there is a 72 hour window for providing valid identification. This allows self-excluding gamblers to potentially open new accounts and access gambling products before their identity has been verified.
Due to privacy concerns, self-excluding gamblers who are on existing registers will not be automatically transferred to the new program.
Rowland is also considering a parliamentary inquiry’s recommendation to ban all advertisements for online gambling products and services.
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.