Gambling in Australia: government launches review of BetStop

The review must present its final report to the Minister for Communications within 18 months.

Australia.- The Australian government has announced that it has appointed former senior public servant Richard Eccles to conduct a review of the country’s national self-exclusion register, BetStop. Eccles will deliver his final report and findings to the Minister for Communications within 18 months, and the report will be tabled in Parliament.

Minister for communications Michelle Rowland said the review will “add to the evidence base on the impacts of BetStop in Australia and voluntary exclusion programs to help inform future policy.”

Rowland added: “There has been a massive take-up of BetStop in its first 12 months, making a meaningful difference and changing the lives of thousands of Australians and their families. We want to make sure BetStop is working as effectively as possible to protect vulnerable Australians from gambling harms – which is why my department is undertaking this review. I encourage people who’ve registered or interacted with BetStop to participate in our upcoming public consultation so we can take on your feedback to inform any future changes.”

Minister for social services Amanda Rishworth said: “Preventing and reducing online gambling harms is a priority for this government, and we’ve taken a number of strong actions to this end. This review is an opportunity to ensure that BetStop – a key measure – is operating effectively.

“Protecting vulnerable Australians from online gambling harms is not a set and forget proposition – and we’ll continue to work closely with stakeholders across government, industry and community to address this pervasive issue.”

Launched in August 2023, Betstop enables people to voluntarily exclude themselves from all online gambling platforms across every state and territory. It is overseen by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and covers all licensed Australian interactive wagering service providers. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 requires a review of BetStop after 12 months of operation to ensure it effectively protects vulnerable Australians from gambling harm.

Earlier this month, the ACMA reported that 30,493 Australians have decided to self-exclude from all licensed online and phone wagering services since BetStop was launched. As of September 30, 23,182 people had active exclusions while 7,311 people had completed their self-exclusion or cancelled their exclusion early.

New South Wales tops the list of jurisdictions with the most registrants at 9,537 followed by Victoria with 8,193 and Queensland with 6,140. Northern Territory is the jurisdiction with least registrants at 496.

See also: New gambling measures in New South Wales see 93% compliance

According to ACMA, 49 per cent of registrants were under the age of 30, 30 per cent were 31 to 40 and 12 per cent were 41 to 50. Some 39 per cent decided to self-exclude for life while an equal percentage chose to self-exclude from three months to two years.

The review must present its final report to the Minister for Communications within 18 months. Australia.- The Australian government has announced that it has appointed former senior public servant Richard…