Australian governments have historically legalised and promoted a wide range of gambling options.118 Today, governments oversee a tangled web of rules and codes for Australian gambling providers119 that leaves big holes in consumer protection. Many past attempts to strengthen consumer protections for gambling have play free lucky 88 pokies been thwarted by vested interests, so gambling reform is now considered very politically risky. Chapter 3 outlines a roadmap to prevent gambling harm, by reducing people’s exposure and rolling out tools that will make gambling safer. Just 5 per cent of gamblers account for 77 per cent of gambling spending using debit cards (Figure 1.6). This top 5 per cent spend 10 times as much as the bottom 80 per cent combined.
Betting at your fingertips and an inescapable ‘torrent of advertising’21
As affiliates of the casino, these streamers are entitled to a cut of the money lost by players they have referred to Shuffle. In regard to lotteries in NSW, the Public Lotteries Act 1996 requires the provider of lottery, including an online lottery, to be authorised if the total prize value exceeds $30,000. Under section 6 of the Act, it is an offence to conduct a public lottery without lawful authority. All state and territory unlawful gambling schemes include criminal penalties for non-compliance.
- Australia permits several forms of gambling, both offline and online, as long as they are regulated under Commonwealth and state or territory laws.
- This table provides a time series of total gambling turnover by state and territory.
- You can nominate someone you know to support you while you are self-excluded.
- To ensure your online gambling experience is both fun and secure, it’s crucial to choose casinos that are licensed under Australian law and regulated by authorities with broad enforcement powers.
- Overseas-based online casinos that target Australian residents are explicitly prohibited under the IGA, with significant civil penalties attached.
2 Gambling is everywhere, addictive, and harmful
They’re a staple of Aussie casinos, either as part of a welcome package or as stand-alone goodies. From Oz Lotto to Powerball and Mega Millions, online lotteries are now built into most virtual casino lobbies. Craps can seem intimidating with all its dice rolls and side bets, but in a virtual casino it’s surprisingly simple once you know the basics. Whether you are registered with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register or still considering it, there are many other supports available if you want to take control of your gambling. You can nominate someone you know to support you while you are self-excluded. You can also access information about other gambling supports that are available.
The federal government should assemble a National Taskforce and consider financial and other incentives to bring everyone to the table. For example, the federal government could take full responsibility for regulating online betting, while still enabling states to collect online betting revenue through their point-of-consumption taxes. Every jurisdiction has work to do in preventing gambling harm, and reform will be easier and more effective if jurisdictions coordinate their efforts. But that shouldn’t mean delaying state-based reform efforts, or waiting for laggards. If some jurisdictions fail to step up, others should push ahead without them. These recommendations would make gambling much safer, but they will take several years to implement.
You pick numbers, the draw happens fast, and you’re onto the next round in seconds. Please share how gambling advertisements have affected your community and why the government must act now to protect Australians from their harm. All gambling providers should familiarise themselves with the contents of these codes and advise and instruct all relevant gaming staff. Penalties apply if a gambling provider does not comply with a mandatory provision of any gambling code of practice.
Dangerous Driving Occasioning Grievous Bodily Harm
Preventing gambling harm will reduce the gambling industry’s profits, so governments need to be prepared to stand up to strong vested interest pushback. The industry has a track record of thwarting reforms, including by stoking community fears about unintended consequences. The online and pokies pre-commitment schemes recommended in Section 3.2.1 also offer this side benefit.
Australia’s gambling regulation is a mess and does little to reduce harm, let alone prevent it. Federal and state governments have different responsibilities, but neither are doing enough. Showed how effective the gambling industry is in influencing Australian politics, punching well above its weight. Organised attempts to influence policy can create windfall gains for a few, at the expense of the many. In other countries, high-impact, high-loss ‘Australian-style’ machines are typically confined to casinos.11 But in Australia, they are pockmarked across our suburbs and towns, increasing the risk of harm. Pokies are in our suburban pubs and clubs, and betting is constantly available at our fingertips.
And a flood of advertising, even in the most obviously inappropriate places,6 continually prompts us to gamble. People who gamble, their families, and the broader community pay the price in their finances, health, and wellbeing. Properly regulated casinos — both online and offline — are covered by strict anti-money laundering laws, requiring them to “know your customer” when funds are transferred in and out of their accounts.
Industry lobbyists claim that restricting or banning gambling ads would jeopardise the financial viability of sport, or the free-to-air TV industry. But these industries have adapted to advertising bans in the past, and would do so again. A universal system may need to be administered by a national agency (as it is in Germany and Norway) to keep track of people’s nominated limits and spending across providers. Cashless gaming is currently a major focus for NSW, and is an important part of tackling money laundering via pokies,211 but is not an essential pre-cursor for mandatory pre-commitment. NSW stands out in having banned political donations from gambling businesses because of the potential for influence and perception of influence.167 But gambling interests in NSW still can and do donate at the federal level.