Australia
First Major Step in Preventing Gambling Harm in Victoria
The Allan Labor Government has embarked on its first step in implementing its nation-leading reforms to protect Victorians from gambling harm.
Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne introduced the Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 to Parliament, which will enforce mandatory closure periods for all gaming machine areas in venues except the casino between 4 am and 10 am every day.
This addresses evidence that some venues are staggering opening hours to encourage patrons to move between nearby venues to continue gambling once one closes.
Providing people with a break in play is an important gambling harm prevention measure, as it gives people a chance to stop and consider the decisions they are making and whether they are prepared to potentially lose more money. The mandatory closures will come into effect by mid-2024.
The Bill will also extend the Minister’s powers to ban harmful betting on activities that take place outside of Victoria such as sports played by minors, providing more control over betting that is not in the public interest.
In response to the alarming behaviour uncovered by the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence, the Government moved swiftly to implement the Commission’s 33 recommendations.
The Bill builds on this work by making it clearer and easier for the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission to deal with casino property if it decides to withhold granting a casino licence. It also ensures the mandatory pre-commitment and carded play systems will work across the casino, including on table games.
From December 2023, any person who plays a gaming machine at the casino will be required to track their play using the pre-commitment system, YourPlay. By December 2025, this must be implemented on table games like poker and baccarat, requiring new table game technology to be developed.
The Bill follows the Government’s commitment in July 2023 to introduce sweeping reforms to provide Victorians with the strongest gambling harm protections in the country.
The package of reforms includes mandatory pre-commitment limits and carded play for all electronic gaming machines, capped load up limits of $100 and a slowing of spin rates to reduce the pace of games. The Government will consult with industry as part of an implementation working group.
Melissa Horne, Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, said: “Our previous reforms have delivered stronger oversight of the gambling industry in Victoria with a regulator unafraid to hold venues to account – now we’re doing more important work to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm.
“We’ve seen predatory behaviour from some venues, allowing people to keep gambling for hours, at any hour. Closing gaming areas between 4 am and 10 am will give people an important break to reassess and walk away.”
AB Trav och Galopp
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.
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.
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.
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