BetStop Now Has More Than 40,000 Registrations

BetStop, the newly launched self-exclusion program in Australia, has been able to reach a new significant milestone – registering as many as 40,000 people.

BetStop’s Registration Grow But Slow Down in Latest Quarter

This is a significant achievement, as the program has been introduced as a way to unify the needs of consumers who wished for a stronger tool that allows them to exclude themselves from all regulated gambling in the country, which is precisely what BetStop has achieved, replacing the state-avaialble options that were too fragmented.

As of March 31, 2025, BetStop had 27,763 active self-excluded players with 40,121 total registrants. The majority of people who were excluded were based in New South Wales, with 12,531 of the total registrations.

Despite the strong overall performance, BetStop noted that registrations for the last quarter showed a slowdown. In the first quarter of the reporting period 2024/2025, there were 4,521 new registrations, or a 11.1% decline compared to one quarter before. The decline was even steeper when compared on annual basis – a 39.7% drop.

However, none of this should be concerning. A huge number of players have already registered, and others have reached out to the tool to use it to limit their gambling habits. It is normal for BetStop not to be experiencing a constant influx of new registrants, although the program is hoping to see more people jump on.

Australia may have between 340,000 and 470,000 problem gamblers, with the 40,000-odd registrants just a fraction of the people who may need or benefit from extra help.

Registrations from Victoria were the second most numerous, with 10,800 sign-ups, and Queensland came in third with 8,125. The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory reported the lowest numbers, with 607 and 325 registrations, respectively, but the low numbers may be owing to lower population density.

Younger Australians Seek Out Help

Australia has been keen to reduce the harmful gambling practices in its territory, but this has proven a tall order.

A plan in New South Wales to remove gaming machines failed after the government realized – despite promising – that paying for the removal would be less efficient than spending the money on prevention and treatment for people experiencing problem gambling already.

In the meantime, the Australian Communications and Media Authority continues to hammer the offshore gambling market that is targeting the industry. Another interesting takeaway from the latest BetStop data is that 46% of all registrants were under the age of 30, while 32% were aged 31-40.

This is a serious demographic indicator that many young people are engaging with gambling excessively, which could point to broader trends in the population and help advise public policy as to where it can focus on making gambling safer and for whom specifically.