The Albanese Government is further strengthening laws to protect Australians from the harms of gambling.
Amendments introduced to Parliament today will take action to help protect vulnerable customers from inducements.
This includes:
- banning the direct marketing of inducements for 14 days after signing up with a wagering company
- banning the direct marketing of inducements to all customers identified as at risk of gambling-related harm
- banning the direct marketing of inducements for three months after a person deregisters from BetStop
- banning commissions to staff or affiliates based on customer activity.
The amendments also strengthen existing provisions in the Bill to further reduce children's and vulnerable people's exposure to wagering advertising.
This includes:
- restrictions on advertising during children's programming
- extending the blackout period for live sports restrictions to 15 minutes prior to the game
- mirroring restrictions on live sport that exist on broadcast for online services
- beginning live sports and frequency cap ad restrictions at 5am instead of 6am.
The Albanese Government will also establish a Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register.
The register will allow people to indicate they do not want to see wagering ads online and have it applied across their services.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will develop the Opt-out Register.
Costs associated with the register and new restrictions on inducements will be recovered from wagering service providers.
For online services the changes also legislate that the opt-out functionality must be prominent for people.
These new laws will be monitored and enforced by the independent regulator ACMA, with a review after three years.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications and Minister for Sport, Anika Wells:
"We have listened to the range of views across the community and the Parliament, which showed us the most toxic version of inducements - and we are taking action to address this.
"The reforms introduced to Parliament represent the most significant reforms to online gambling in Australia's history.
"This package of reforms minimises children's exposure to wagering advertising, takes action on predatory inducements and cracks down on illegal gambling operators."
