Almost half of BetStop sign-ups for youngest players

Almost half of people who have signed up to Australia’s national self-exclusion register for gambling are aged 30 years or under, new data has revealed.

Forty-seven per cent of sign-ups with BetStop have been with the youngest players legally allowed to gamble, the Australian Communications and Media Authority said it in its latest report on the tool.

Since its launch in August last year, BetStop has received 17,423 sign-ups.

As of 31 January this year, 15,985 people had active exclusions. That means that 1,438 people have either completed their period of self-exclusion or cancelled their exclusion early.

The next largest age group represented by the registrants was those aged 31 to 40.

Of the exclusions registered so far, 39 per cent – the joint-biggest portion – have opted for lifetime exclusions from online and phone wagering providers in Australia.

A further 39 per cent have opted to exclude themselves for between three months and two years.