The delayed response has left big gaps in consumer protection, and demonstrates once again how politically challenging it is to achieve good policy in this space. There is a risk that some people in the grip of gambling addiction seek out unlicensed websites in a deliberate attempt to circumvent loss limits. But, under current regulations, legal websites are not much safer than illegal ones for heavy gamblers. Many legal gambling operators do not have effective safeguards in place to prevent harm (Chapter 2). Our proposed reforms do not curtail the availability of legal gambling websites.
2.3 Gambling causes harm
Is it true that 90% of gamblers quit before they hit it big?
The good news, is that you are reading this, and can move past the tricks that gambling lore plays on the psyche of vulnerable persons. If you were looking to validate the claim that 90 percent of gamblers quit before they win big, you now know it is an outright lie.
Gambling is one of Australia’s most politically powerful industries, which makes gambling reform high risk politically. Casinos have been the subject of recent Royal Commissions and major inquiries.115 State governments should follow through on these reforms. It difficult to stop.107 And any value of these campaigns as a reminder is drowned out by the torrent of gambling advertising. The main reason Australia’s regulations are so weak is the influence of the gambling industry. Past reform efforts have been killed by highly organised, well-funded industry campaigns.
Resources for interactive gambling licensees
- Offering a buyback option should reduce pokies numbers while giving the industry some choice in how they manage the impact of the mandatory scheme on their business.
- For the full list of interactive gambling fees, read Schedule 3 of the Interactive Gaming (Player Protection) Regulation (Qld).
- Gambling is considered a heavily regulated industry in Australia, but current regulations are not particularly effective in reducing harm, let alone preventing it.
- 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.
- Chapter 4 explores how governments can ensure reforms stick, by standing up to the vested interests, rebutting their self-interested claims, and coordinating reform efforts across jurisdictions.
If you wish to conduct online skill-based games you should seek independent legal advice in relation to whether the game is able to be conducted under the provisions of the gaming legislation administered in Queensland prior to making an application. Policy makers should be guided by data in choosing the regulated upper limits, and be prepared to withstand industry attempts to loosen the seatbelt by lobbying for higher limits. But estimates of their community benefits are highly inflated, and their most valuable contributions don’t rely on pokies profits. The proliferation of pokies is a problem that state governments should chip away at over time, at the very least to avoid making things worse. 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).
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. Most gamblers’ spending will be unaffected by our proposed maximum limits (Figure 4.4). 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. 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.
People who gamble, their families, and the broader community pay the price. Gambling can lead to financial and mental distress, relationship breakdown, family violence, and suicide. Despite Dragon Link pokies online not having any full-time staff, the NTRWC spent $1 million on “employee remuneration”, which a spokesperson said was used to cover the wages of its director of racing and wagering and its inspectors. More than 40 corporate bookmakers base themselves in the NT for tax reasons, regulated by the part-time NT Racing and Wagering Commission. For the full list of interactive gambling fees, read Schedule 3 of the Interactive Gaming (Player Protection) Regulation (Qld).