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. 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. Many past attempts to strengthen consumer protections for gambling have been thwarted by vested interests, so gambling reform is now considered very politically risky. The gambling industry will push back on these reforms by denying the problems and stoking community fears. But this report shows that their trumped-up claims don’t withstand scrutiny.

• The industry has a track record of thwarting reforms, including by stoking community fears about unintended consequences.
• Mandatory pre-commitment with maximum loss limits would ensure gamblers no longer lose more than they can afford.
• The time is right for federal, state, and territory governments to come together to implement a coordinated reform package.
• Pokies and online betting are particularly addictive and harmful, leading to serious harm for hundreds of thousands of Australians.

1 There are big holes in consumer protection

Sign up for our latest report releases and our newsletter straight to your inbox. The history of advertising regulation suggests that Australian sport and broadcasters will adapt (see Box 8). A phased approach would give sporting bodies and broadcasters time to find replacement revenue.191 Despite alarmist claims, this would not be a fatal blow to either (Chapter 4). Governments have a responsibility to act in the public interest, even when it is politically challenging.

If some jurisdictions fail to step up, others should push ahead without them. Pokies venues would need to ensure that people can only gamble on pokies using their registered card, as per the Tasmanian model. Compliance with the mandatory scheme should be a condition of holding a licence.

2.2 …but political risk is the biggest barrier to reform

If you do not believe your proposed game fits within one of the categories below, you may wish to apply for an interactive gambling licence. Many online wagering providers are licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Government—see a list of gambling operators licensed in the Northern Territory. Read about resolving complaints and disputes on the NT Consumer Affairs website. The time is right for federal, state, and territory governments to come together to implement a coordinated reform package.

The online and pokies pre-commitment schemes recommended in Section 3.2.1 also offer this side benefit. The National consumer protection framework for online wagering (the framework)—jointly developed by the Australian and state governments—outlines a series of minimum consumer protections online wagering providers must follow. The industry contends that stronger regulation would push gamblers towards illegal gambling websites,259 which lack consumer protection measures.260 But the risk of illegal gambling is small compared with the known harm of the current environment. The federal government should assemble a National Taskforce and consider financial and other incentives to bring everyone to the table.

The federal government should establish a national mandatory pre-commitment system across all online gambling – including online betting, phone gambling services, online lotteries, live dealer online casino and online Keno – with maximum loss limits. Most other regulations at best aim to slow the rate at which people lose money. 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 for online gambling, and state governments should implement state-wide mandatory pre-commitment schemes for pokies. This will go a long way to preventing harm from the two most risky and widespread forms of gambling.