The South Australian government on 11 December extended its ‘Take a Break’ gambling self-exclusion scheme statewide following the success of an initial four-week trial.
During the trial period in November, Take a Break posters were displayed in 32 gambling venues in South Australia. Each poster featured a QR code that, when scanned, led consumers to an online form they could complete to self-exclude.
Government consumer protection agency Consumer and Business Services (CBS), managed the forms, adding those that signed up the following business day. Consumers could also select which form of gambling they wanted to exclude from upon signing up.
During the trial, 19 people requested to be barred from gambling through the Take a Break scheme. However, according to the CBS, once Take a Break becomes active in every gaming room in South Australia, this would equate to 226 exclusion requests in the same four-week period.
Of the players that excluded, 11 were female and eight male, with their ages ranging from 19 to 79. Exclusion lengths varied from three months to an indefinite period. The CBS also noted that for most applicants, this was their first time blocking themselves, while 20% asked to be referred to a gambling help service.
The CBS is running the initiative in partnership with the Australian Hotels Association South Australia and Clubs SA.
Take a Break expanded ahead of Christmas
In a statement on the extension, the CBS noted the timing of the decision. It said this will help to protect consumers from increased risk of gambling harm during the Christmas break.
“We are now taking the step of making this campaign available across the state in time for Christmas with the holiday period often seeing an increase in gambling,” the CBS said. “Factors such as financial stress, family conflict and substance use can trigger people to gamble.
“It is targeted primarily at those individuals who may not be ready to talk to someone about their gambling, but who realise they may need help.”
Aside from self-excluding, systems in South Australia allow those concerned about someone else’s gambling to apply for exclusion on their behalf. Consumers in the state can also access the Gambling Help Online website to chat discreetly with a live counsellor.
ACMA blocks more offshore sites
Meanwhile, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has this week requested the blocking of a further six unlicensed online gambling websites.
ACMA said investigations found each website to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. As such, it is requesting Australian internet service providers (ISPs) block access to the sites.
Eddy Vegas, Lucky Friends, Lucky Ones, MoonWin, Slottie and SpinsUP were all deemed in breach of the Act.
Since ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, some 1,117 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. In addition, over 220 illegal services have exited Australia since ACMA began enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.
