Australia urged to go further after credit card betting ban

A gambling trade body in Australia has called for a government ban on the use of credit cards for sports betting to be expanded to cover all forms of gaming.

Responsible Wagering Australia CEO Kai Cantwell said the credit card ban will make it “easier for people to stay in control” of their gambling behaviour.

However, Cantwell said it is “disappointing” that lotteries and keno were exempted from the ban, despite such content being “the most prevalent form of gambling in Australia” and the content that is “commonly accessed by people in low-socioeconomic communities.”

He added: “To effectively reduce gambling harm, consumer protection measures must exist across all forms of gambling, otherwise those at risk of harm will just move from one form of gambling to another less regulated type.”

The RWA, whose members include Entain, bet365 and PointsBet, said it has worked to get a credit card on sports wagering since 2021.

Cantwell said the RWA will “continue to engage productively” with the Australian government to see that the ban is implemented “effectively” within six months.

But the body also wants lotteries to be incorporated into BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion register to ensure that “Australians who have self-excluded from online gambling are not precluded from gambling up to $10,000 online at a time through lotteries.”