SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
In the face of mounting pressure to raise the standards of safer gambling in the country, the Australian federal government has taken on the task to reach higher player protection levels by enforcing new regulations.
These regulations are affecting a number of areas of bookmaker operations, including payments and retail betting.
Recently, the Victoria Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) issued a statement regarding an increase in incidents where minors have been engaging with gambling.
As a result, the Commission took immediate action by requesting Tabcorp – the state of Victoria’s exclusive betting licence holder – to integrate cashless retail betting on 70% of its terminals, making its staff the first line of defence against underage betting.
To hear some industry perspective on the new measure, SBC News and Payment Expert jointly reached out to Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA), a trade body representing several high profile Australian licence holders including Sportsbet, bet365, Betfair, Entain, Unibet and Pointsbet.
It is important to note that Tabcorp is not a member of the RWA, but nonetheless the association has emphasised the importance of meeting responsible gambling standards across the whole of the industry.
And while Tabcorp is not a member of the RWA, the organisation also shares responsibility towards ensuring that safer gambling standards are met throughout the country.
Kai Cantwell, RWA CEO, commented: “It is absolutely unacceptable that any underage Australian is gambling, which is why online wagering providers verify the age and identity of all customers before they can make a transaction.
“This is also an important mechanism to mitigate money laundering and terrorism financing risks.
“RWA welcomes sensible regulatory measures that bring other forms of gambling up to the standard that online wagering providers already operate on.”
The cabinet of PM Anthony Albanese is currently in the process of implementing a total of 31 recommendations made by a parliamentary inquiry into gambling.
A request submitted to the state of Victoria by the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) in December last year has also called for restrictions on TV gambling advertisements as part of a wider report focusing on gambling and liquor regulations in the state.
