Ladbrokes Australia pulls out of gaming reform strategy
Ladbrokes has distanced itself from a multi-company collaboration on safer gambling strategies in Australia.
The operator had been working with the Australian government and some of the biggest online-only bookmakers in the country – Sportsbet, BetEasy and Bet365 – through industry group Responsible Wagering Australia.
The aim of the group is to develop stronger responsible gaming reforms, including a self-exclusion function, a ban on “inducements” for referring a friend to open a betting account and the ability to set betting limits when signing up.
However, Ladbrokes has expressed frustration at delays in the development of the multi-operator scheme.
Ladbrokes general counsel Patrick Brown is quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying: “The design and implementation of most multi-operator self-exclusion schemes fails due to complexity.”
The operator believes the current simplified Gamstop model in the UK works perfectly well and should be replicated in Australia.
However, the UK gambling watchdog raised concerns earlier this year about the effectiveness of the newly-introduced system; one of its flaws being that self-excluded bettors can continue to receive a bookmaker’s promotional material.
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