Key points:
- Report expected to be released within 18 months analysing how effective it has been
- More than 30,000 have signed up to BetStop since it was started in the summer of last year
- Recent statistics show registrations on BetStop are down
Former senior public servant Richard Eccles has been appointed by the Government in Australia to conduct a review of the country’s national self-exclusion register, BetStop.
BetStop is a free method for people to exclude themselves from all online and phone wagering providers licensed in Australia.
Those who sign up can’t open a new gambling account and betting companies themselves can’t accept bets or send those who have signed up to BetStop any marketing material.
Eccles has been appointed by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland to lead this review of the self-exclusion register, with a report set to come out within 18 months.
This review has been implemented to help inform any future policy, aiming to ensure that BetStop is still fit for purpose.
According to government figures, more than 30,000 have signed up to BetStop since its introduction in August 2023 and, based on registrations to date and evidence from similar programs, it has been estimated that BetStop has saved registrants between AU$80m-AU$135m (US$53.44m-US$90.18m) in its first year.
Good to know: 21-29 October is NSW GambleAware Week
Rowland herself said: “We want to make sure BetStop is working as effectively as possible to protect vulnerable Australians from gambling harms – which is why my department is undertaking this review.”
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth added: “Protecting vulnerable Australians from online gambling harms is not a set and forget proposition – and we’ll continue to work closely with stakeholders across government, industry and community to address this pervasive issue.”
Earlier this month, BetStop released statistics for Q1 2024/25, highlighting that registration was down across the board and altogether down 39.7% year-on-year.
