Australia sets out to review BetStop one year in

Following a year after it launched operations in August 2023, the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is now embarking on a review of Australia’s self-exclusion program.

Australia determined to assess the efficiency and success of BetStop

BetStop is undergoing a customary review, the first since it launched, which will assess its effectiveness and what has been achieved over the past 12 months. Presently, the program has around 23,000 enrolled and active registrants, with a total of more than 30,000 over its lifetime.

Earlier this month, it became clear that some users have deregistered, or their registrations have lapsed, and they have chosen – or not checked – to renew them. Commenting on the review, Michelle Rowland MP said that there has been a surge in interest for BetStop in the 12 months, with the program making a "meaningful" difference in Australians’ lives.

"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," she added. Rowland has also appointed the person to conduct the review of the program, Richard Eccles, a former Deputy Secretary.

Yet, this is not all the government has in plan for BetStop. Rowland, for example, is encouraging people who have participated in BetStop to take part in an upcoming public consultation about the program meant to help calibrate the tool’s scope and efficiency.

Reading the BetStop data and understanding the program so far

Meanwhile, there has been plenty of actionable data about the program, with BetStop data indicating that 79% of those people who have signed were under the age of 40, meaning that people with a gambling disorder are in the fairly youthful part of the population.

Out of the people who have signed up for BetStop, 39% have chosen a lifelong ban, indicating that some people have been hoping for a self-exclusion program that allows them to dramatically reduce their gambling habits in the first place.

The effort to reduce the level of gambling harm has been welcomed by Minister for Social Service Hon Amanda Rishwroth MP who was similarly pleased with the success demonstrated by the program so far and welcome the review as the means to further strengthen the program.

"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," Rishwroth concluded.

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