Australia’s self-exclusion gambling program reaches new watershed

The national self-exclusion program in Australia, BetStop, has reached a new milestone with 28,000 people now registered with the program. Launched a year ago in August, the program has sought to change attitudes towards responsible gambling.

Australia hails BetStop’s first year of operation

BetStop was designed and serves as a unifying exclusion registry in Australia, allowing players anywhere to exclude themselves from gaming nationwide, the Australian Communications and Media Authority said in a statement in which it reported on the program’s latest performance.

According to ACMA, almost half of the 28,000 registrants are aged 30 or under, and 80% are aged 40 and under. The watchdog also added that 40% of all registrants have also chosen to exclude themselves for life, showing a very strong demand for the service in the first place.

Only 20% of those who registered chose the minimum self-exclusion period which is three months. Another 14% have chosen to extend their exclusion period as they seek to continue their recovery, ACMA noted.

As to the broader implications, ACMA Chair Nerida O’Louglin was pleased with BetStop’s first year of operation and what it signified for the country and the program’s success. O’Louglin outlined the popular risks associated with gambling first.

Young Australians choose to be gambling-harm free

"Online gambling can cause a great deal of harm to individuals, their families and friends, so it’s encouraging that so many people have decided to take the step and register to self-exclude," she said, and praised the fact that younger Australians are taking the risks of gambling serious, making decisions early on as to what their relationship with the activity would be.

"Many people are also choosing to nominate someone to support them. Stopping online gambling can be a difficult decision to make – having someone to support you can make the decision much easier," she added.

Australia has been looking to actively ensure the safety of players. For one, the country is debating a full ban on sports gambling advertisements, a move backed by scientists, politicians, and medical practitioners.

ACMA itself has been actively looking to block illegal gambling websites that continue to target players locally without the necessary license to do so. Some 1,000 websites have been added to the watchdog’s list already.

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