Australian Self-Exclusion Register Signups Start to Flag in November

The online registry was introduced on August 21, 2023, and it has seen an immediate interest from punters, as the program is designed to allow Australians to enrol and be excluded from virtually all forms of gambling, retail and online across the nation.

BetStop Continues to Bolster RG in Australia

The measure is part of a much broader attempt to change the country’s reputation for the biggest gambling spending and losses per capita worldwide. BetStop is a good step in that direction, with total registrations now hitting 13,608 nationwide.

Although there has been sustained interest, the current number of signees is behind the initial influx. In October, there were 3,121 signups compared to November’s 2,991, which may indicate that the initial peak of signees has been reached.

The exact number of problem gamblers in Australia is not presently known, but it’s estimated that at least 1% of the population suffers from it, amounting to roughly 193,000 people.

The data, however, is based on research conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies in 2015, which leaves more to be desired when approaching and understanding the issue today.

Regardless, BetStop has been a meaningful overall step in the right direction. Victoria, New South Wales, and Northern Territory have seen active participation from local players who have sought to exclude themselves from gambling activities.

Sweeping Reforms to Make Gambling Safer in the Country

The country itself has embarked on several meaningful changes to further strengthen these safeguards, including the introduction of a credit card ban for online gambling, which is hailed as a long overdue but important milestone in the country’s fight against gambling-related harm.

Meanwhile, a cashless gaming trial is taking place in New South Wales. The logic behind this is that the introduction of cashless gaming technology can help protect vulnerable consumers, but also stem other offenses such as money laundering, an issue that triggered sweeping reforms across the state and brought to light arguably dishonest practices by some of the largest gambling companies in the country.