Federal Government Announces New Legislative Reforms to Further Strengthen Player Protections and Fund Awareness
Australia’s national self-exclusion register, BetStop, is celebrating its third anniversary since its initial launch by the Albanese Government. Designed to combat gambling harm, BetStop enables individuals at risk of problem gambling to voluntarily self-exclude from all licensed interactive wagering services for periods ranging from three months to a lifetime.
Licensed interactive wagering operators are legally barred from opening accounts, accepting bets, or sending direct marketing materials to anyone registered on the platform.
Three Years of Impact and Key Statistics
Since its inception, BetStop has experienced widespread adoption across Australia, recording significant milestones:
- Total Registrations: More than 67,000 individuals have signed up for the service.
- Demographics: Approximately 78% of all registered users are aged 40 and under.
- Lifetime Bans: Around 38% of registrants have opted for permanent, lifetime exclusions.
- Active Exclusions: Currently, more than 41,000 people maintain active exclusions through the registry.
New Legislative Reforms and Cost Recovery
To coincide with the three-year milestone, the Australian Parliament passed a comprehensive package of reforms aimed at further minimizing gambling harm. Under the updated framework, the federal government will introduce a three-month ban preventing betting operators from directly marketing inducements to former BetStop users immediately following their deregistration.
Additionally, Parliament passed the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Act, ensuring that the financial costs required to maintain, promote, and expand BetStop are recovered directly from licensed gambling companies rather than taxpayers.
Emphasizing the vital role the platform plays, Minister for Communications Anika Wells stated:
“BetStop continues to change lives for the better, giving Australians at risk of gambling harm the ability to self-exclude and break the cycle of gambling addiction. BetStop has already made such a huge difference to so many Australians – that’s why we’re taking steps to make it even stronger and more effective and working to raise awareness of this vital service.”
