Australia’s Minister of Communications, Michelle Rowland, has appointed Richard Eccles to conduct the first statutory review of the country’s national self-exclusion register – BetStop.
Implemented in August 2023 by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, BetStop is being reviewed due to a requirement in the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which states a review of the self-exclusion service must be conducted after a year of operations to make sure it is an effective measure to protect those vulnerable from gambling harm.
The Minister’s statement also said that the review will “add to the evidence base on the impacts of BetStop in Australia and voluntary exclusion programs to help inform future policy”.
BetStop covers all Australian licensed igaming providers, stopping them from opening a new account for self‑excluded individuals, accepting bets from them, or sending them marketing material. Operators must also close existing betting accounts for registered individuals.
Since its launch, more than 30,000 Australians have registered with BetStop. 79% of registrants are aged 40 and under, 39% have registered for a lifetime ban and around 23,000 people have active exclusions.
According to the minister’s statement, based on BetStop registrations to date and evidence from similar programs, lifetime registrations for the service may have achieved a total cost saving of between $80m to $135m in the first year.
“There has been a massive take-up of BetStop in its first 12 months, making a meaningful difference and changing the lives of thousands of Australians and their families,” commented Rowland.
“We want to make sure BetStop is working as effectively as possible to protect vulnerable Australians from gambling harms – which is why my department is undertaking this review. I encourage people who’ve registered or interacted with BetStop to participate in our upcoming public consultation so we can take on your feedback to inform any future changes.”
Conducting the review will be Eccles, who is described as an experienced senior public sector leader with governance, executive management and advisory expertise, with experience in public health, online safety and technology.
The Minister’s statement said the review will examine “the effectiveness of BetStop’s underpinning regulatory framework and whether regulatory arrangements under the Interactive Gambling (National Self-Exclusion Register) Register Rules 2022 and the National Self-exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Act 2019 are fit for purpose”.
A consultation process will be opened later this year so the public can provide feedback that could help inform future changes. Eccles will deliver his review to the Minister for Communications within 18 months, with this report being tabled in Parliament.
In late November, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is expected to publish additional review details, including public consultation mechanisms, on its ‘Have Your Say’ webpage.
Amanda Rishworth, Minister for Social Services, added: “Preventing and reducing online gambling harms is a priority for this government, and we’ve taken a number of strong actions to this end.
“This review is an opportunity to ensure that BetStop – a key measure – is operating effectively. Protecting vulnerable Australians from online gambling harms is not a set-and-forget proposition – and we’ll continue to work closely with stakeholders across government, industry and community to address this pervasive issue.”
