The Government of New South Wales (NSW) is urging betting companies to make sure advertisements properly convey messages about responsible gambling.
This comes after Liquor & Gaming NSW sent show cause notices to two betting companies, for irregularities in their television advertisements that undermined agreed-upon responsible gambling messages.
Jane Lin, Liquor & Gaming NSW Executive Director of Regulatory Operations & Enforcement, said: “Wagering operators in NSW should ensure their advertising gives these messages the right exposure to reduce the risk of harm.
“In one instance, the responsible gambling message was barely audible, while the rest of the ad could be heard loud and clear. Another operator drastically changed the tone of the voice-over when the message was spoken, going from strong and confident to soft and passive.”
Lin added: “We urge gambling operators and their creative agencies to advertise responsibly and make sure content is in the spirit of providing a clear harm reduction message to consumers and the broader community.
“Betting operators have a vital role to play in reducing the risk of gambling harm, and it starts with how they advertise."
The National Consumer Protection Framework (NCPF) for Online Wagering in Australia mandates the inclusion of uniform responsible gambling messaging in advertising.
The framework is created to offer customers of interactive wagering services licensed in Australia uniform minimum protections across the nation.
Liquor & Gaming NSW oversees making sure operators in NSW adhere to the framework's many requirements which include sending out responsible gambling messages.
If there is evidence that operators did not fulfill their responsibility to communicate clearly about harm reduction under the NCPF, Liquor & Gaming NSW can impose a variety of disciplinary penalties, including prosecution. If found guilty, wagering operators could face fines as high as $110,000.
