TLDR
- Australia will require betting companies to pay a levy to fund a BetStop awareness campaign.
- New laws will limit how many gambling ads air per hour and ban them during sports broadcasts.
- Only 1 in 3 recent bettors know about BetStop, the national self-exclusion register.
- About 60,000 people have signed up for BetStop, with 37,247 active exclusions as of March.
- Greens spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young says the reforms do not go far enough to protect families.
Australia’s federal government is set to introduce a new levy on betting companies. The money raised will fund an advertising campaign for BetStop, the national self-exclusion register.
The register lets people block themselves from all licensed Australian betting services in one place. The government wants more gamblers to know it exists.
This levy is part of a larger gambling reform package. That package also includes stricter rules on how often gambling ads can be shown.
New Advertising Limits
New laws are expected to pass on Wednesday. They will limit the number of gambling ads that can air in a single hour.
The laws will also stop gambling ads from being broadcast during live sporting events. This is meant to reduce how often gambling ads reach viewers, especially during major matches.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the ad campaign will help gamblers learn about self-exclusion. She said BetStop is one of the most useful tools for people affected by gambling harm.
Wells pointed out that only 1 in 3 people who placed a bet in the last year know BetStop exists. The campaign is meant to close that awareness gap.
Regulator data shows about 60,000 people have enrolled in BetStop since it launched. By the end of March, 37,247 people had active exclusions.
Wells said she hopes parliament can agree on the reforms so they take effect by January. The broader plan also includes a ban on pocket pokies.
She said online lotteries and overseas lotteries are areas that remain lightly regulated. She said these products do not offer the same consumer protections as licensed Australian betting services.
Political Reaction
Not everyone agrees the reforms go far enough. Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young criticized the government’s approach.
She said limiting gambling ads to certain hours will not protect families. She argued that children do not go to bed early when watching football with their parents.
Hanson-Young called the plan a half measure. She said it fails to shield young people from gambling advertising during popular broadcasts.
She also said the government needs to stand up to the gambling industry and large media companies. These companies benefit financially from gambling ad revenue, she said.
Her comments reflect a wider debate in Australian politics. Some lawmakers want tougher restrictions than what is currently proposed.
The levy requirement puts betting companies directly into the funding of the BetStop campaign. Paired with the new ad limits, the government hopes to raise visibility of the exclusion register.
For now, the reform package combines advertising limits, consumer protection measures, and harm reduction funding. Parliament is expected to debate the laws this week, with the government pushing for the measures to be in place by January.
