A new bill introduced to the Australian Parliament aims to force online gambling companies to clearly display users’ losses on their betting apps and websites.
The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Statement on Actions Relating to Knowledge of Losses) Bill, introduced by Rebekah Sharkey MP on 10 February, would require gambling operators to display their net losses to users in real time via a permanent banner that cannot be minimised or hidden.
Australia continues to lead the world in gambling losses per capita, with national gambling losses estimated to reach A$32 billion (€19.3 billion) in 2022/23, according to Queensland Treasury data.
Under the new requirements, bookmaker apps and websites must display three key metrics at all times: the user’s net position for the current month, calendar year, and all losses or wins since the start of using the service.
The information must be displayed in a font of at least 10 points and remain visible throughout the betting process.
Sharkie told earlier in the week: “This would cost the government very, very little to police, but this would stop lives being lost. Right now, young people across Australia are losing thousands of dollars … and they can’t see a way out and this would help them to see exactly how much they’re losing.”
Companies who fail to comply with the rules will face fines, including up to 500 penalty units per day for criminal offences and 750 penalty units for civil penalties. For legal entities, the penalties will be five times higher.
The legislation includes a six-month implementation period to allow gambling operators to update their systems and processes.
While bookmakers are already required to provide customers with monthly activity reports, users must currently seek out this information themselves, although it must be clearly visible.
The legislation comes amid a wave of regulatory scrutiny of Australia’s gambling sector following the publication of the landmark Murphy Report in 2022.
That parliamentary report recommended wide-ranging responsible gambling reforms, including a phased ban on advertising.
The Albanese government has said it will not consider implementing any such measure before the federal election in May 2025.
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