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Australia to Ban the Use of Credit Cards in Online Gambling

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Australians at risk of online gambling harm will be better protected through a ban on credit card payments and fines of up to $234,750 for companies who don’t enforce it, through legislation to be introduced by the Albanese Labor Government to Parliament.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Credit and Other Measures) Bill 2023 will seek to ban the use of credit cards and credit related products, as well as digital currencies, used for online wagering.

The Bill continues the Government’s priority work to protect vulnerable Australians from online gambling harms and will also provide the Minister for Communications with the power to prohibit additional credit-related products as they emerge as a way of “future proofing” the legislation.

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The introduction of the Bill implements recommendations from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services (PJC Inquiry) from November 2021.

The Bill will expand the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s powers to ensure strong and effective enforcement of the new and existing civil penalty provisions under the Act. Penalties up to $234,750 could apply for any breach of the new provisions.

Industry and consumers will be provided with a six month transition period from the date of Royal Assent to change their business and betting behaviours respectively.

Since coming to Government Labor has prioritised work to reduce the harm caused by online gambling, including through implementing the final measures under the National Consumer Protection Framework.

This includes the introduction of monthly activity statements outlining wins and losses, new evidence-based taglines to replace “Gamble Responsibly,” nationally consistent training for staff working in online gambling companies and BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, which allows consumers to exclude themselves from all Australian licensed wagering services for a period of three months up to a lifetime.

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In addition, the Government will also introduce mandatory customer pre-verification, requiring wagering service providers to verify a customer’s identity when they register for a new account and before they can place a bet. This requirement is expected to be in place by the end of this month.

The Government is carefully considering the recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling to inform future measures to help address the harm caused by online gambling.

A meeting of state, territory and Commonwealth ministers responsible for online wagering nationally will be held before the end of the year.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:

“It’s as simple as this: people should not be betting with money they do not have.

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“The Australian Government remains committed to protecting Australians from gambling harms.

“Legislating a ban on the use of credit cards for online gambling will help to protect vulnerable Australians and their loved ones.

“I would like to thank the wide variety of stakeholders, including harm reduction advocates, wagering and lottery providers, and banking payment organisations, for their contributions to and support for this Bill.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Social Services, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP:

“Since coming to Government we’ve prioritised addressing the harm caused by online gambling and I’m pleased we are taking the next step with legislation to ban the use of credit cards.

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“You can’t use your credit card to place a bet for land-based gambling and the same rules should apply for online gambling too.

“We’re serious about protecting vulnerable Australians from the harm we know online gambling can cause. Any platform breaching the new rules will face penalties.

“We know minimising the harm caused by online gambling is not a set and forget exercise and I look forward to working with my state and territory counterparts on what comes next to continue this positive change.”

Australia

Martin Pakula Named Chair of Crown Melbourne

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Crown Resorts has announced that The Hon. Martin Pakula will join the Board of Crown Melbourne, effective May 1, 2025, and will succeed Mr. Ian Silk, as Chair, from July 1, 2025.

As Chair, Mr. Silk has successfully led Crown Melbourne through a period of unprecedented remediation and transformation during the past two and a half years. Mr. Silk’s strong leadership through the organisation’s operational and cultural transformation, saw Crown Melbourne regain its licence from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission. To ensure a seamless transition Mr Silk will remain in his role until 1 July 2025.

As incoming Chair, Mr. Pakula brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously served as Attorney-General, and Minister for Tourism, Sport, and Major Events in the Victorian government. He currently serves as Chair of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

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Crown Resorts CEO, Mr. David Tsai, said: “Martin’s appointment comes at an exciting time as Crown continues to focus on innovation and growth. I look forward to Crown benefiting from Martin’s extensive industry and leadership experience. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Ian for his exceptional leadership and the pivotal role he played in overseeing Crown Melbourne’s extensive transformation.”

Mr. Silk said: “It has been an honour to serve as Chair. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved over the past two and a half years, and I want to thank everyone at Crown Melbourne for their dedication and hard work. I’m confident Crown Melbourne will continue to thrive with Martin’s leadership.”

Mr. Pakula said: “I am delighted to accept the role of Chair at Crown Melbourne and to play a role in its exciting future. Crown is an iconic business that is a critical part of Victoria’s economy, tourism and entertainment industry.”

The post Martin Pakula Named Chair of Crown Melbourne appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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TheLotter Australia: Exciting Changes to the US Mega Millions

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Big changes have arrived at the US Mega Millions lottery! From April 8, 2025, better jackpot odds, higher minimum prizes, an improved, built-in multiplier, and a modified Mega Number pool are available – making the game better than ever. To make these great changes possible, ticket prices increased from US$2 to US$5.

The revamped version of this lottery will feature a built-in Multiplier – 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or even 10x. The Multiplier will boost non-jackpot winnings based on the number drawn before the draw at no extra cost! As a result, the second-prize winnings could reach an incredible US$10 million. If the Multiplier concept sounds familiar, it’s because, before these changes, players had to pay extra to opt in for the Megaplier; however, the new Multiplier boosts winnings automatically! Moreover, the adaptation to the Mega Numbers pool will streamline the Mega Ball matrix and help form winning matches by reducing the amount of the total number from 25 to 24.

At TheLotter Australia, customers can purchase entries to US MegaLuck, where their selections are matched with an official lottery ticket in the corresponding US Mega Millions draw from licenced US Mega Millions retailers. Since US MegaLuck mirrors the original draw, the changes in April 2025 will apply to it as well.

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“It’s exciting to see Mega Millions evolving with major changes that make this popular draw even more appealing to both new and seasoned players. I’m thrilled that customers in Australia can enjoy the revamped game seamlessly through TheLotter Australia’s website and app. And when they win, the customers receive their full prize amount, before taxes are deducted,” said Piers Morgan, Director at TheLotter Australia.

Australians passionate about American lotteries can also join the US MegaLuck draw easily and securely at TheLotter Australia. When a customer wins, TheLotter Australia notifies them promptly. Small prizes are deposited directly into the customers’ accounts, while TheLotter Australia assists with claiming larger prizes.

The post TheLotter Australia: Exciting Changes to the US Mega Millions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Changes to Tipping Off Offence Came into Effect in Australia

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Businesses and individuals bound by the tipping off offence must now consider whether a disclosure could be expected to prejudice an investigation, under changes to the AML/CTF laws that came into force on March 31.

The changes to the offence, which carries a maximum penalty of around $39,000 or up to 2 years in prison, are now focussed on the harms that could flow from a disclosure.

AUSTRAC CEO, Mr Brendan Thomas, said the change is part of AML/CTF reforms passed late last year to expand and simplify the legislation.

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“The previous legislation was almost 20 years old and a lot has changed in that time,” Mr Thomas said.

“AUSTRAC is about to usher in 100,000 new businesses to the regime next year and they too will be subject to the tipping off offence.

“The change to the offence is about balancing intelligence gathering with practicality to ensure we can all get the best outcome – identifying criminal activity and driving money laundering out of legitimate businesses.

“We need businesses to work with us to detect illicit transactions – tipping off risks criminals getting a heads up. Criminals can then take action to hide or disguise their illegal activities. However, we know that effective information sharing within and between businesses helps stop money laundering.”

Businesses and individuals covered by the AML/CTF legislation, including banks, casinos, remitters and money lenders, are now prohibited from disclosing certain information to another person (other than AUSTRAC), only where it would or could reasonably be expected to prejudice an investigation.

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“The move to a focus on harms strikes a better balance between protecting law enforcement investigations and allowing industry to collaborate in fighting money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious crimes.”

While the tipping off offence changes from March 31, most of the obligations under the amended AML/CTF Act will not come into effect until 2026, when entities in real estate, accounting, precious stones and metals and digital assets come under AUSTRAC’s remit.

The post Changes to Tipping Off Offence Came into Effect in Australia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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