Australia

Australia’s COVID-19 Lockdown Gives Windfall to Gamblers

Published

6 years ago

May 27, 2020

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The lockdown in Australia due to the COVID-19 crisis has given gamblers an unexpected windfall.

Facilities that offer electronic gambling machines have remained closed because of restrictions designed to slow the spread of the virus.

“That means that Australians are saving one billion U.S. dollars a month. And that is money that is appearing in people’s bank accounts and they are able to pay the bills and put food on the table, and for many people who are gambling heavily, this has come as a huge relief,” Tony Mohr, executive director of Alliance For Gambling Reform, said.

Australians lose more money to gambling than people living in any other country, almost 25 billion Australia dollars (about 16.3 billion U.S. dollars) a year. More than half of that money is pumped into electronic gambling machines.

“A woman at Easter had told me that she had money to buy Easter eggs for her children without trying to work out where to get the money from for the first time in years,” gambling reform advocate Anna Bardsley, who had a 10-year addiction to electronic gambling machines, said.

“The time is a huge loss to me. I’ll never get that time back and time that I could have been doing much better things, time that I should have been spending with my children. It was such a huge waste of time,” she said.

The shutdown has hit Australia’s gambling industry hard financially.

NSW Clubs, which represents more than 1200 facilities in New South Wales that offer electronic gambling machines, has reportedly estimated a loss of more than 35,000 jobs.

AB Trav och Galopp

BetMakers Technology Group Selected to Distribute ATG Horse Racing Content Across Australia and New Zealand

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

betmakers-technology-group-selected-to-distribute-atg-horse-racing-content-across-australia-and-new-zealand

BetMakers Technology Group announced it has been appointed by AB Trav och Galopp (ATG), Sweden’s national horse racing betting organisation, to distribute ATG’s live racing content and data to wagering operators across Australia and New Zealand.

Under the agreement, BetMakers will make ATG’s nominated Swedish and Danish horse racing available for fixed-odds betting, together with ATG’s live vision signal. The arrangement broadens the international racing product available to operators in the region and deepens BetMakers’ growing library of premium global content.

“BetMakers is incredibly proud to be working with ATG. Their racing is among the best in the world, and we’re focused on getting that content live and available to operators across Australia and New Zealand quickly and reliably. This is a partnership we’ve wanted for a long time, and it’s a genuine pleasure to bring ATG’s product to our customers in the region,” said Martin Tripp, Chief Operating Officer at BetMakers Technology Group.

“We at ATG are incredibly happy to expand our partnership with BetMakers. They help us as a betting company reach more customers with our products and races. We are delighted that we can now together take our Swedish races abroad, primarily to Australia and New Zealand,” Said Petter Johansson, International Business Officer at AB Trav och Galopp (ATG).

The partnership reflects continued demand from operators for differentiated international racing content and reinforces BetMakers’ position as a global racing technology and content provider.

The post BetMakers Technology Group Selected to Distribute ATG Horse Racing Content Across Australia and New Zealand appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ACMA

ACMA Warns MMA Fighter Jamie Mullarkey for Breaches of Online Gambling Laws

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

acma-warns-mma-fighter-jamie-mullarkey-for-breaches-of-online-gambling-laws

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a formal warning to mixed martial arts fighter Jamie Mullarkey for breaches of Australia’s online gambling laws.

An ACMA investigation found that in 2025 Mr Mullarkey promoted an illegal offshore gambling service in sponsored posts on his Instagram account. Mr Mullarkey’s Instagram profile also referred to his sponsorship arrangements with the service, including a link to the gambling site and posts with promotional hashtags referring to the service.

Australian online gambling rules prohibit the promotion of illegal gambling services. This includes posts or live streams featuring illegal services, sharing links to those services or running promotional giveaways connected to illegal gambling services.

ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said the enforcement action puts social media influencers and their agents on notice.

“Athletes and social media personalities with large online followings can have significant influence over their audiences and can encourage the use of illegal gambling services,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

“This is the first enforcement action we have taken against an influencer for breaching online gambling rules, and it should serve as a warning to others.

“In this case the ACMA issued a formal warning considering the specific circumstances of the matter. This included that Mr Mullarkey ended the sponsorship arrangement promptly, cooperated with the investigation and quickly removed the material. Mr Mullarkey also accepted responsibility for his conduct and expressed genuine remorse.

“However, all influencers need to be aware that promoting illegal online gambling sites is against the law and can result in significant penalties.”

Individuals who promote or publicise illegal online gambling services can face civil penalties of up to $59,400. Those who facilitate access to illegal gambling services, including by providing hyperlinks or directing users to those services, may face penalties of up to $2,475,000.

“The ACMA will use its full suite of regulatory tools, including these substantial civil penalties, where influencers promote or facilitate access to illegal gambling services,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

The post ACMA Warns MMA Fighter Jamie Mullarkey for Breaches of Online Gambling Laws appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Australia

Feedback Sought on How Public Lotteries are Run in NSW

Published

2 weeks ago

June 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

feedback-sought-on-how-public-lotteries-are-run-in-nsw

Liquor & Gaming NSW is seeking feedback from industry, stakeholders and the community on how public lotteries are run in NSW.

The Public Lotteries Regulation 2016 is due to expire on 1 September 2026 and Liquor & Gaming NSW intends to renew the regulation to support the legislative framework for lottery regulation, while ensuring it remains fit for purpose.

Public consultation is a key part of the process and the draft Public Lotteries Regulation 2026 and Regulatory Impact Statement will be open for consultation until Friday 10 July.

It is proposed that the regulation will retain most of the existing provisions with some minor amendments to modernise the regulatory framework, remove outdated provisions and improve clarity, consistency and effectiveness.

Before the draft regulation can be remade, legislation requires a formal process of review be undertaken, which includes consultation with the public, interest groups and industry or businesses likely to be affected by the draft regulation.

It’s important for public lotteries to be conducted properly and in line with community interests and expectations, with appropriate harm minimisation measures.

The regulation supports the legislation by setting the standards around the conduct of public lotteries and puts in place consumer protections for people who buy lottery tickets.

The post Feedback Sought on How Public Lotteries are Run in NSW appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.