Victoria moves first on Australian online gambling reforms
Australian state to adopt the country’s new National Consumer Protection Framework on Sunday
Victoria will become the first Australian state to adopt a raft of online gambling reforms when the National Consumer Protection Framework (NCPF) goes live on Sunday.
The NCPF for online wagering was ratified by all state and territory gaming ministers in November 2018, when each state was given an 18-month deadline to implement the changes.
According to regulators, the NCPF provides 10-strong, nationally-consistent minimum protections for consumers of Australian online gamblers.
As part of the framework, sports betting operators in Victoria will be banned from offering players credit, vouchers or rewards as an incentive to refer their family or friends to open a betting account.
Operators will also be prohibited from offering complementary bets that force account holders to use any winnings to continue to gamble, while consumers will have to opt-in to receive direct marketing from a wagering service provider.
A nationwide self-exclusion register is also part of the package of reforms.
Australian MP Paul Fletcher
Other changes include making deposit limits and account closures easier for online customers. The full legislation can be found here.
According to Australia’s federal minister for families and social services, Paul Fletcher, the NCPF will apply to around 2.5 million active online wagering accounts, or one million people in Australia.
The NCPF is supported by online betting trade association, Responsible Wagering Australia.