Responsible Wagering Australia: No evidence that credit card gambling leads to harm
Australian trade body chief Brent Jackson says credit card risk is exaggerated and customers should be trusted to manage preferences
Responsible Wagering Australia CEO Brent Jackson has said there is “no evidence” to show credit card use facilitates problem gambling behaviour.
Speaking to Melbourne’s 3AW radio station, Jackson said personal responsibility should be a major factor and that the majority of Australians gamble responsibly.
Jackson said: “Ultimately, we think that customers should have the right to choose and directly manage their own betting preferences. I think that while it’s fair to say Australians like a punt, I think it’s also fair to say that we’re a nation that punts responsibly.”
On the issue of credit cards, Jackson said that 20% of online gamblers in Australia used them to top up their accounts, with the vast majority opting for debit cards instead.
Jackson continued: “There’s no evidence that links any form of payment with bad outcomes specifically and when it comes to credit cards there’s just no evidence to show that customers who use credit cards to top up their betting accounts behave any differently.”
The former Engineers Australia general manager went on to state that further industry regulation was required but that implementation of new policy should be purely evidence-based.
Jackson said: “I think that in the case of gambling it is appropriate that we are regulated. We want to avoid people who are underage having a bet, we want to avoid people getting into trouble, absolutely.
“What we think though is that very strong regulation should be evidence-based and it should be solving the problem with credit cards, but that problem just isn’t there.
“People are doing the right thing and in the absence of that problem we think people should be left to make their own decisions,” he concluded.
Jackson’s comments follow growing calls from Australian politicians to increase gambling industry regulation in the country.
In a parliamentary speech earlier this week, MP Andrew Wallace said it was of paramount importance to “stop the craziness” of gambling prevalence in Australia.
Wallace said: “While I have breath in my lungs, I can assure you that I will be continuing to press this government to act further. We’ve got to stop the craziness in this country, where people are spending A$25bn on gambling.
“That is the equivalent of six or seven brand new public hospitals that could be invested in by a government. It is A$25bn which is being lost by families, some of whom are unable to put food on the table or pay the rent.
“These gambling companies are raking in billions of dollars, while Australians can’t pay the bills. This is something we’ve got to do. This is something I’ll continue to press this government to do,” he concluded.