Mandatory pre-commitment with maximum loss limits would ensure gamblers no longer lose more than they can afford. The federal government should establish a national pre-commitment system for online gambling, and state governments should roll out state-wide pre-commitment schemes for pokies. The federal government should establish a national mandatory pre-commitment system across all online gambling – including online betting, phone gambling services, online lotteries, and online Keno – with maximum loss limits.
For gambling providers
Working towards the development of recommendations to improve referral practices for patrons from gaming venues to gambling help services in South Australia (PDF 1.6 MB) Riley, Orlowski, Smith, Battersby & Baigent, November 2016. Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA), which acts on behalf of the gambling industry, has argued the real “wild west” was run by offshore operators who avoided regulation entirely. Mr Kennedy said there was a “unity ticket in this parliament to address gambling harm” and accused Mr Albanese of “holding it back”. A key part of the Alliance’s work is how we work with people who have experienced gambling harm, known as the Voices for Gambling Reform.
And disquiet about the proliferation of online gambling harm triggered the 2023 Murphy Inquiry, which made 31 recommendations supported by multi-partisan consensus – a rare feat. The federal government has taken more than 14 months to respond to the inquiry, but leaks last month on the potential response231 sparked protracted debate in the media, parliament, and Labor’s own caucus – showing how widespread the public support for reform is. Preventing gambling harm will reduce the gambling industry’s profits, so governments need to be prepared to stand up to strong vested interest pushback.
Government backtracks on default speed limit
Most venue-based consumer protections rely on individual staff to track gambling risk and know when and how to step in – a difficult task which staff have little incentive to undertake. We acknowledge the Ancestors, Elders and families of the Kulin Nation (Melbourne campuses), the Eora Nation (Sydney campus) and the Yugara/YUgarapul and Turrbal Nation (Brisbane campus) who are the traditional owners of University land. As we share our own knowledge practices within the University, may we pay respect to the deep knowledge embedded within the Aboriginal community and recognise their ownership of Country. Most customers get a same day outcome on their loan application provided they complete a loan application and provide all supporting information we request before 3pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on a normal business day. Customers that complete an application or provide requested supporting information after 3pm AEST (or outside of business day working hours) will receive an outcome the following business day. Having too many (or even one) of these listed on your credit report can seriously hurt your chances of getting approved for a loan at all.
Mandate pre-commitment with maximum loss limits for online gambling
When Parliament returns on Monday, the Senate will debate and vote on Senator Hanson-Young’s referral of gambling advertising to the Senate’s Environment and Communications Reference Committee. Australia’s biggest online bookmaker has received a fine in excess of $300,000 after an email issue saw it fail to deliver mandatory monthly activity statements to over 6000 customers. It was also recommended that the federal government empower the eSafety Commissioner to issue binding removal, link-deletion, app-removal, and ISP-blocking notices for illegal operators. That would centralise all illegal gambling domains, mirror sites, and related app identifiers in one database managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. It also highlights the limited legal recourse players had to deal with withheld winnings, frozen accounts of fraud, and shows the increased risk of money laundering and terrorism funding activity.
Is Australia the biggest gambler?
Australia has less than 1% of the world's population but 18% of its poker machines. Australians are the world's biggest gambling losers per capita, gambling away at least $25 billion a year, and possibly even $31.5 billion.
Governments should call out the industry’s self-interest, and not be tempted to ‘buy off’ vested interests https://princespies.com/ (Box 7). Gambling licences are a privilege granted by governments – they are not a right – and they do not override government responsibility to legislate in the best interests of the Australian people. Taking action across all jurisdictions is likely to be the most effective way to stand up to the vested interests. It makes it harder for the industry to go after individual politicians, parties, or governments, as it has done in the past (see Chapter 2). Recent Royal Commissions, reviews of Australian casinos, and the NSW Crime Commission’s inquiry into money laundering through pokies have collectively sparked outrage around the country.
- A ban on gambling advertising would pass parliament with a conscience vote, according to a Labor MP in favour of tackling the issue as a matter of public health.
- Governments should call out the industry’s self-interest, and not be tempted to ‘buy off’ vested interests (Box 7).
- It is possible to lose money gambling, yet still derive positive self-esteem from the activity.
- If Australian governments are serious about preventing gambling harm, they will need to bolster their efforts and take action to both reduce the pervasiveness of gambling in Australia and make gambling safer.
- Through public discourse and advertising, gambling has become intrinsically linked to our everyday activities, and in particular the Aussie notion of mateship.
Federal and state governments have different responsibilities, but neither are doing enough. Many past attempts to strengthen consumer protections for gambling have been thwarted by vested interests, so gambling reform is now considered very politically risky. 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. The impacts of COVID-19 on gambling participation and on the levels of problem gambling risk received attention early on in the pandemic, showing an overall reduction in gambling frequency and expenditure in 2020 (Hodgins & Stevens, 2021).