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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-04-02 Daily Xml
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Online Gambling

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (14:47): My question is to the Attorney-General. Will the Attorney-General detail to the house the steps she has taken as minister responsible for gaming in the online space and illegal online wagering?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (14:47): I thank the member for Heysen for this important question. I am very pleased to advise the house that as of 26 November last year the state governments and the commonwealth have started to implement a number of measures to deal with consumer protection for those who are either problem gamblers or at risk, particularly under what was identified and signed up to, namely, a national consumer protection framework for online wagering.

As part of this approach, which is to have a unified position as to how we best protect consumers, there are 10 new ways that we are dealing with it. Key improvements under the framework itself include restricting online gaming providers from either offering or providing credit; preventing payday lenders from advertising with online gaming platforms; stricter time frames on online wagering providers to verify their customer's identity to better prevent people who are either underage or self-excluded from finding another means to gamble online; restrictions on inducements, so that gambling providers will be banned from giving rewards or other benefits to either open an account or to successfully refer someone; and establishing a national self-exclusion register, enabling those who have a gambling addiction to exclude themselves from all other online gambling platforms.

I was pleased to report to the house the initiative we have done here locally to ensure that there was a prompt self-exclusion opportunity. Further, with respect to the new industry code of practice, all gambling advertisements will be banned during live sporting broadcasts from 5am to 8.30pm. It is important, I think, to understand the significance of online gaming and gambling, and there are approximately 100 Australians who take part in some form, highlighting the importance to deal with a coordinated approach.

Members probably are aware from their own electorates that the consumer demand for poker machines in hotels and clubs, and the use of online gaming apps, has really been a significant shift to the latter, and clearly that means that, together with regular advertising and incentives, it is putting a number of our younger Australians at particular risk.

I recently wrote to commonwealth ministers about the measures to curb illegal offshore gaming activity and their commitment in this space around website blocking, financial transaction blocking and other online measures. Further, I have also called on the commonwealth to investigate options to block sites that are not licensed and, as regulators, make it harder for Australians to access unlicensed sites, many of which seek to exploit unwitting and vulnerable customers.

As I have often said, the safest place for people to gamble and game is in licensed venues. However, we all know that currently people can lose their homes while they are sitting in their lounge room, and it is important that we address this issue. Let me assure the house that the South Australian government will work with our state, territory and commonwealth counterparts on the implementation of these important measures over the next 18 months to ensure that our regulatory system is as robust as it needs to be.

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