Victoria, Australia has revealed a new set of rules that are designed to protect consumers who participate in online betting activities, Inside Asian Gaming first reported. The measures, confirmed by Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne, are designed to ensure that consumers in Victoria remain protected from harmful gambling influences.
The new set of rules focuses on empowering consumers as much as it does on demanding sportsbooks that are currently licensed under Victoria law to make sure that they stick to the best industry practices in protecting player well-being.
Horne is confident that the new measures will empower Australian consumers to have a bigger say in how they interact with gambling products and services in the state. For example, sports punters will have the opportunity to opt out of marketing materials, and licensed operators will be held to much higher standards to ensure that punters who have chosen not to get such promotions do not receive them.
Operators will also have to face a number of additional requirements. They will have to send their staff to train under the Responsible Service of Wagering program. All of these measures are just part of the broader and more ambitious reforms that have been enacted across the Australian gambling market.
These new rules are exclusively focused on sportsbooks and they will expect any company registered in Victoria to make sure that those demands are met in full. To make sure that these rules are met, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission will monitor licensed operators closely.
Licensees will also have to submit monthly account activity statements to customers. The idea is to minimize harmful gamblingpractices to the benefit of consumers. Sportsbooks have been an equally important part of the gamblingecosystem in Australia.
Tabcorp, one of the most prominent sportsbooks in Australia, recently pushed for tax reform in Victoria. The state has been firmly focused on battling gambling addiction and problem gambling.
It launched the Reset application hoping to empower consumers even further in excluding themselves from gambling activities if they feel they are over-spending or developing a problem.
Image credit: Pixabay.com