Australians will have the option to ban themselves from online betting for the rest of their lives under a new register that will come into effect next month.
The national self-exclusion register is called BetStop and will launch on 21 August, the Federal Government has announced. Those on the register won’t be allowed to open an account or place a bet with licensed online betting providers in Australia.
Gamblers on the register will be excluded for at least three months, but can opt for a lifetime ban.
How will a gambling ban work?
Australians will be able to add themselves to the list for free and in one transaction. The register will hold essential information on the person, such as their contact details and address.
Gambling companies will be forced to promote the exclusion register on their marketing material. Websites and apps will also need to feature the register.
How the gambling ban will apply:
Those on the exclusion register will be banned from all 150 licensed online gambling providers in Australia. This includes providers such as Sportsbet, PointsBet and TAB.
These services won’t be allowed to send marketing material to customers on the register.
National support:
The register was part of a national online gambling protection framework signed off by all Australian governments in 2018.
It was also supported by a Federal Parliamentary inquiry into online gambling, which delivered its final report in June.
