Key points:
- RWA backs NSW GambleAware Week 2024, focusing on responsible gambling strategies
- Illegal offshore operators now account for 15% of Australia’s gambling market
- RWA stresses the need for balanced regulations to protect vulnerable gamblers without driving customers to unregulated sites
Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) has announced its support for NSW GambleAware Week 2024, a campaign aimed at promoting safer gambling practices and raising awareness about available support services.
Running from 21-29 October, the campaign’s theme, “Safer gambling. Are you on board?” aims to encourage individuals to adopt strategies that help prevent gambling-related harm.
The initiative hopes to encourage people to reflect on their gambling habits, check in with family and friends and utilise support services that are available nationwide.
RWA CEO Kai Cantwell said: “Strategies such as setting limits, avoiding chasing losses, gambling only when sober and maintaining a balance between gambling and other activities were simple yet effective ways to minimise harm – ideas we are championing during this year’s GambleAware Week.”
Alongside these discussions on responsible gambling, Cantwell pointed to the rising issue of illegal offshore operators. These unregulated platforms reportedly account for 15% of the Australian gambling market and continue to grow.
Such operators evade local laws and lack consumer protections, posing risks not only to individual gamblers but also to the wider industry.
Cantwell argues that reforms should strike a balance between protecting consumers and ensuring that overregulation does not drive gamblers to unlicensed operators. Citing international examples, he noted that overregulating licensed operators in countries such as Sweden and Italy has left gaps for illegal markets to thrive.
Illegal gambling markets also reportedly create integrity concerns for Australian sports and racing, with fewer safeguards against issues like match-fixing. The Australian Government is being urged to take measures that protect vulnerable consumers while ensuring that legal operators remain competitive.
Last October, Responsible Wagering Australia raised concerns that illegal offshore operators could cause economic losses of up to $3bn in Australia by 2027 if the issue is not addressed.
