Published on 7th December 2018 by Andrew Mills

Paul Fletcher, the Social Services Minister of Australia, has announced the long awaited news that the Government will be rolling out a new gambling framework that allows players to self-exclude on a national level.The register is designed to allow citizens of Australia to step back from opportunities to gamble if they feel they are struggling or at risk of gambling related harm.

Latest step

The register is the latest (and arguably biggest) in a recent run of reforms to the gambling industry in Australia.It follows on from a ban on non-wagering products and a nationwide crackdown on gambling companies operating from outside the country.The latter reform saw 33 unlicensed operators withdraw their services from the Australian market, with projections suggested that revenue from offshore gambling will drop considerably to AUD$200 million in 2018.This has been refuted by other organisations, with the Australian Poker Alliance suggesting that other offshore operators have simply taken the place of those that left.Speaking of the register, which is part of a campaign to help and support problem gamblers, Paul Fletcher said:“The measures are designed to reduce the harm that can be caused to individuals and their families by excessive or at-risk online wagering.“The National Framework will apply to about 2.5 million active online wagering accounts, or about a million people in Australia.”“If you exclude from one, you exclude from all—this is a first in Australia.”

Reactions

There has been positive feedback from anti-gambling campaigners and organisations, for Minister Fletcher’s announcement, with Stephen Conroy, Executive Director of Responsible Wagering Australia saying:“These are landmark reforms which solidify Australia’s place as a leader in social responsibility in wagering.“We are grateful to Minister Fletcher and his predecessors, Ministers Tehan and Tudge, for leading a thorough and consultative process on this important package of measures.”