Australia toughens stance on offshore lotteries

Australia is looking to limit the influence of offshore lotteries that the Albanese government now wants to look more closely into.

After Australia has led one of the most ambitious and successful efforts against offshore casinos, blocking hundreds of operators, and some suppliers, and scaring off others enough to leave on their own volition, the country is taking a harder look at offshore lotteries.

Lotteries to be targeted in new 12-month review

Before it acts, though, the government will seek to launch a 12-month review which will seek to better understand how offshore lotteries impact the mainland, players, and businesses.

According to Minister for Communications Hon Michelle Rowland MP, the government remains firmly committed to reducing gambling-related harm coming from online wagers. Presently, Australia limits online wagering to sports gambling for the most part.

Casino games are completely banned on the Internet. However, Australia has wakened up to a new reality, Minister Rowland has cautioned, arguing that foreign lotteries and keno websites have been increasingly encroaching on Australian everyday life.

The government will seek to turn this into a multi-party effort that reaches out to industry stakeholders with relevant understanding who may offer input into whether keno lotteries are indeed harming consumers and licensed businesses.

Are consumers sufficiently protected by lotteries?

Similarly, the government wants to know whether consumers are actually at a risk by playing in such lotteries. The government has a panoply of tools on its hands to try and limit the harmful practices of gambling sites.

It may issue payment service provider bans for certain products or platforms, or introduce other restrictions that make it harder to gamble with certain websites.

The central message the government is sending has been confirmed by Minister for Social Services Hon Amanda Rishworth MP who similarly said that the goal is to ensure consumer protection.

Rishworth has pointed out several initiatives spearheaded by the government already to combat problem gambling. Indeed, Australia has been revisiting how it protects consumers.

From cashless gaming trials to help combat problem gambling and money laundering to a national self-exclusion program designed to allow players to exclude across the country, to banning gambling on credit, Australia has been working hard to limit the pernicious impact that gambling may have on players.

Still, Australians are the world’s biggest losers in the world of gambling, raking up debts and losses. In 2021, the nation lost $25bn on gambling.

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