Online gambling companies in Australia will soon be forced to feature new warnings on all advertisements in an effort to deter people from taking a punt.
The Guardian reported that the new regulations, under the National Consumer Protection Framework, will come into effect in April 2023.
The regulations require companies to issue warnings to gamblers and give them information about where to seek help.
The new taglines will include ‘Chances are you’re about to lose’, ‘Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?’, ‘What’s gambling really costing you?’, ‘Imagine what you could be buying instead,’ and ‘What are you really gambling with?’
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These new messages will be required in all ads distributed via TV, radio, apps, digital or print ads, social media, and websites.
Most ads will also have to urge people to reach out to Gambling Help Online.
Companies have also been told to rotate through the warnings over 12 months to ‘mitigate message fatigue’.
The new taglines come after extensive research, with parliament opening an inquiry into the harmful impact of online gambling.
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Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said, as per The Guardian: “Online wagering is fast becoming an increasing source of gambling and an increasing source of loss for people.
“We have consulted widely and, importantly, we have used evidence to inform these taglines.”
She hopes these new amendments will curb the growing problem in the country.
"Online wagering is fast becoming an increasing source of gambling and an increasing source of loss for people," she said, according to ABC News.
In 2022, Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found that more than one in 10 (11 per cent) Australians have admitted to participating in online gambling at some stage in the previous six months.
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This figure was an eight per cent jump from 2020, with more people taking part in online gambling.
The founder of Algamus Gambling Treatment Services, Rick Benson, said online gambling is more addictive than casinos because it’s more readily available to people and easier to hide.
He believes online gambling has become increasingly popular in the age of the pandemic.
He writes: “The online gambling industry has been growing in the past few years, but now even more so with many casinos being closed due to the Covid-19 restrictions.
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“With the pandemic, many people are also experiencing increased feelings of boredom, loneliness, and financial stress, which can lead them to gamble.”
He added that more protections must be in place as gambling disorders should be treated with ‘the same urgency and seriousness’ as a chronic physical health issue.
Charisa Bossinakis