Self-detoxification from gambling

SGGP 04/14/2023 12:01

Australian channel SBS cited official statistics saying that Australians lose about 25 billion USD a year on legal gambling, the largest per capita loss due to gambling in the world .

In March, the Australian Institute of Family Studies released a report on the harms of gambling in Australia. It found that three-quarters of Australians had gambled in the past year, while two-fifths of Australians gambled weekly. Of those who gambled, 46% were considered to be at risk of harm from gambling. Men aged 18-34 were considered to be at highest risk… Online gambling is the fastest growing segment of the gambling industry.

Faced with this situation, the Australian Government is accelerating the implementation of a plan to create a national self-exclusion register (BetStop). This plan is expected to be launched soon in the near future, which is expected to help Australians "quit" gambling addiction. A step ahead of the authorities, some banks in Australia have provided self-exclusion options for customers. To be able to bet online, players are required to have a bank account to conduct transactions with the "bookmaker" (the betting service provider). Therefore, most self-exclusion programs run by banks are quite similar: customers cannot restore their gambling rights without notifying the bank at least 48 hours in advance. This period is considered a "cooling off time" for customers and can help them gradually "quit" gambling.

Anna Bligh, CEO of the Australian Banking Association, said that since the service was introduced, banks have recorded more than half a million Australians asking their banks to temporarily “ban” them from gambling. “When I did the audit about six months ago, I was surprised at how many people were using the service, as there had been no national advertising campaign about self-exclusion,” Ms Bligh said.

In addition to the solution to help people “detox” themselves from gambling, the Australian Parliament is also conducting an inquiry into the impact of online gambling from betting advertisements during sports matches. Parliament has heard about the Australian Football League (AFL) receiving a portion of betting revenue on each match day, in excess of the usual sponsorship level. Both the AFL and the National Rugby League (NRL) will face scrutiny over the prevalence of betting advertisements during matches.

Refuting the negative impact of betting advertising, AFL CEO Gill McLachlan argued that, regardless of whether betting advertising is available, betting will still occur. According to Mr. McLachlan, the AFL has imposed a limit on betting advertising programs for each match broadcast (2 minutes/match). In addition, the AFL has also implemented a number of restrictions including banning betting odds advertising on its website, to minimize the harm. Mr. McLachlan even said that advertising deals have many positive aspects as they allow the AFL to have a sum of money to reinvest in grassroots sports. In addition, cooperation with betting companies also helps the AFL detect illegal betting patterns, affecting legal betting forms.

However, Labor MP Peta Murphy reminded Mr McLachlan of a survey that showed the vast majority of respondents wanted gambling advertising banned from AFL premises.

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