Many video games include gambling-like features that familiarise children with gambling and can be a gateway to other gambling. Loot boxes, in particular, are a common gambling-like feature in electronic games and have been linked to gambling problems (see Box 4). The proliferation of pokies is a problem that state governments should chip away at over time, at the very least to avoid making things worse.
Under Australian law, online casinos are required to block Australian users from accessing their services. State and territory laws complement the federal framework by regulating authorised online gambling services within their jurisdictions. You can complain to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) if you find believe an online website is offering illegal gambling services. To ensure your online gambling experience is both fun and secure, it’s crucial to choose casinos that are licensed under Australian law and regulated by authorities with broad enforcement powers. It’s one of the few online casino games that can actually rival blackjack for odds when played correctly.
Other forms of gambling can undoubtedly be harmful, but are either lower risk113 or less common,114 so receive less attention in this report. The gambling industry will push back on these reforms by denying the problems and stoking community fears. Federal and state governments should brave the vested interests and work together in the interests of all Australians to make gambling a safer, better bet.
Pokies ‘basically on every corner’7
- Mark R Johnson, a gaming culture researcher at the University of Sydney, has watched dozens of hours of gambling live streams across various online casinos.
- State governments give away at least $1.2 billion in pokies tax concessions for clubs230 – more than enough to cover the cost of improving support services.
- The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the key regulator enforcing the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).
- Shuffle is accepting around $2 billion worth of deposits each month, according to analytics service Tanzanite.
Very sadly the only time many family members become aware about the true extent of the problem is when it is too late to be of any assistance. Visit our support tools page to find out about other services and supports that are available. This includes counselling, help managing your finances and information about supporting others. A gambling provider can apply to the commissioner to be exempt from a provision of the code of practice.
Money Laundering
Explore our list of legal gambling sites and start playing real-money casino games from the Land Down Under. State governments give away at least $1.2 billion in pokies tax concessions for clubs230 – more than enough to cover the cost of improving support services. Regulators should be wary that setting limits on how much people can lose while gambling creates an incentive for the industry to more aggressively try to increase its customer base. This makes the ban on all gambling advertising and inducements (Section 3.1.1) all the more important.
It difficult to stop.107 And any value of these campaigns as a reminder is drowned out by the torrent of gambling advertising. The individualistic approach is promoted by the gambling industry.105 Blaming problems on a small group of ‘aberrant’ individuals absolves the industry of responsibility, and diminishes the case for stronger action by governments. In many communities in NSW, particularly poorer communities, it’s difficult to find a venue that doesn’t have pokies (Figure 1.4). Shuffle is registered at an unassuming house on a gravel road in the capital of Willemstad, an address it shares with at least one other well-known online casino.
In the meantime, governments should improve support services to help those suffering harm now. Gambling donations flow overwhelmingly to the major parties, who are most likely to form government.162 Clubs and hotels with pokies interests are the biggest gambling donors, followed by casinos (Figure 2.2). And gambling donations show a pattern of spiking when the ‘political heat’ rises, on pokies reform in particular (Figure 2.3 and Box 2). This report mainly focuses on reducing the harm caused by pokies and betting.
Gambling is big business, and the industry has repeatedly used its political power to thwart efforts to better protect the public. Gambling companies and peak bodies apply pressure to our politicians through every avenue to protect their profits. Gambling can lead to financial and mental distress, relationship breakdown, family violence, and suicide. Pokies are more common in our suburbs than post boxes, ATMs, or best live dealer online casino public toilets.
