Today, June 11, a previously announced ban on gambling using credit cards and cryptocurrencies came into force in Australia. Operators that fail to enforce the ban on credit cards, credit-related products and digital currencies face fines of A$234,750 (€144,011). This comes after the Albanese government amended the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 in late 2023 to bring online gaming in line with land-based gambling regulations.
The Australian industry had six months to comply with the legislation, which also expanded the enforcement powers of the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
The government said it was considering 31 recommendations from a recent parliamentary inquiry into the harms of online gambling and should make further announcements in due course. Among them is a complete ban on advertising, which is rumored to be among the measures Australia will introduce.
The Australian Government takes its responsibility to prevent and reduce harm from online gaming seriously, Human Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said. It is illegal to use a credit card to place a bet in land-based gambling, and the same rules now apply to online gambling. This ban builds on the significant progress the Albanese Government has made in minimizing gambling harm over the past two years, which has already benefited thousands of vulnerable Australians.
The industry welcomed the ban, with online gaming trade body Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) saying it had always been a supporter of the measure. RWA chief executive Kai Cantwell said it was an important customer protection measure and would allow people to more easily control their gambling behaviour. It will complement RWA members' existing secure gambling account management offerings.
The RWA and its members support extending this measure to all forms of gambling that were exempt from the ban, such as lotteries and keno. Mr Cantwell said if consumer protections were not consistent across all forms of gambling, it would encourage vulnerable Australians to move towards less regulated forms of gambling where they were at greater risk.
The measure is just the latest tightening of regulation introduced by the Australian government. It comes amid accusations that the industry is promoting problem gambling and addiction.
Australia has introduced mandatory customer identity pre-checks for all new online gaming accounts to prevent the participation of children and self-disqualified people from gambling. Operators are also required to send monthly active reports to their customers showing wins and losses, and their staff must undergo national training.
The country also launched a national self-exclusion registry, BetStop, in August 2023. As of April 2024, over 22,000 people have signed up for Australia's gambling blocking service. The government has also replaced the previous “Gamble Responsibly” message on bookmaker advertisements with a new, fact-based one.
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