Responsible Wagering Australia Welcomes “Sensible” Regulations

In the context of the growing pressure to implement safer gambling standards in Australia, the country’s federal government has embraced the task of enforcing a series of fresh regulations that would increase the protection of players. 

The new regulations are impacting several areas of sportsbook operations, including retail betting and payments.

Cashless Retail Betting 

Given the Victoria Gambling and Casino Control Commission’s (VGCCC) latest report related to the rise in the number of gambling incidents involving minors, they decided to take immediate action by asking Tabcorp, which is Victoria’s exclusive betting license holder, to introduce cashless retail betting on 70% of all of its terminals. 

This way, Tabcorp’s staff would be the first to prevent potential underage betting scenarios. 

Approximately 1,800 electronic betting terminals belonging to Tabcorp are expected to become cashless effective later on in the month. 

In order to use them, visitors would need to obtain a voucher from the betting venue’s counter. This way, customers who appear to be younger than 25 would need to first go through an ID verification procedure.

Last December, Liquor & Gaming New South Wales announced it would expand its cashless gambling trial amid increased interest shown by clubs and other venues. 

RWA Deems Underage Gambling as “Absolutely Unacceptable” 

SBC News and Payment Expert discussed the matter with Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA), the trade body that represents a number of high-profile holders of Australian licenses with names like bet365, Sportsbet, Pointsbet, Betfair, Unibet, and Entain on the list.

While Tabcorp is not a representative of RWA, the association has highlighted the critical importance of accurately meeting all standards regarding responsible gambling across the industry as a whole. 

Plus, Tabcorp shares responsibility concerning the implementation and enactment of safer gambling standards throughout Australia. 

RWA’s chief executive officer, Kai Cantwell, called it “absolutely unacceptable” for any underage Australian to be able to gamble, further mentioning the way online betting suppliers perform age and identity verifications on all customers prior to allowing them to make any transaction. 

Cantwell called the procedure “an important mechanism to mitigate money laundering and terrorism financing risks.”

The CEO added that RWA encourages “sensible regulatory measures” that can carry other forms of gambling up to the current standard that online betting providers are now operating on. 

At the moment, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s cabinet is busy implementing no less than 31 recommendations made by a parliamentary inquiry into gambling.
 

Last December, the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee issued a request to the state of Victoria, asking for TV gambling ads to be restricted as part of a more complex report on gambling and liquor regulations in the state.