Australian groups are in favor of a credit card wagering prohibition, but they also desire stricter rules.
A poll on Australia’s proposed credit card wagering prohibition found that the measure is widely backed. However, there are concerns that further action needs to be taken to guarantee its effectiveness.
The legislation, known as the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Prohibition of Credit Card Use) Bill 2020, was introduced in April 2021.
The Environment and Communications Legislation Committee heard evidence from a number of organizations after inviting Australian government agencies to share their perspectives on the bill.
In its submission, the Australian Institute of Family Studies cited the success of the UK’s ban on credit card wagering in April 2020 as a reason to push ahead with the prohibition. The institute said the need for the ban stemmed from the UK Gambling Commission’s finding that 22% of people who used credit cards for online wagering were classified as problem gamblers.
The institute again cited the UK Gambling Commission, outlining the impact of credit cards on gambling, noting that the commission found that 36% of online credit card gamblers gambled when they “had no other funds available,” such as insufficient account funds.
The Gambling Reform Alliance recognizes that while they advocate for prohibiting the use of credit cards for gambling, it’s not a “panacea.” They believe that authorities and financial entities need to contribute to further measures to curb gambling-related damage.
The Alliance also cited the United Kingdom in their response. They highlighted that individuals struggling with gambling harm can easily amass substantial unsecured debt using credit cards and face exorbitant interest rates.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) also voiced support for the prohibition, stating that they are currently evaluating the impact of a credit card ban on gambling operations.
To suggest solutions, the ACMA referenced findings from a consultation document released in February 2021, which included defining “credit” and assessing whether operators who permit account reversals should be prohibited.
Last year, the UK outlawed credit card gambling alongside prohibiting account reversals.
The Australian Department of Social Services, in their submission, stated that the potential repercussions for customer behavior need to be considered when implementing a complete ban on credit card gambling.
This implies that legislation must be crafted to ensure it doesn’t create loopholes for customers to bypass the prohibition.
This matter was also brought to light in a collaborative submission by the Australian Financial Counseling Association (FCA), the Consumer Action Law Center, and the Financial Rights Legal Center.
The document asserts that this loophole could involve utilizing payment vouchers for wagering, a practice that has become more prevalent in the UK since the nation prohibited the use of credit cards for gambling activities.
The document also mentions anticipating methods to bypass the credit card prohibition, as well as evaluating responsible lending principles.
The submission then advocates for further “future-proofing”, demanding that regulatory bodies possess the authority to classify specific practices as “illegal online gambling” at their own discretion.
In view of this, the three organizations also urged that novel forms of gambling be declared illegal, even if they occur on websites located in another nation. This could encompass peer-to-peer esports betting and virtual reality online casinos.
The joint submission presents justifications in support of the prohibition, emphasizing the widespread ease of acquiring credit cards and the challenges associated with escaping credit card debt.
Researchers at the University of Sydney, including Sally Gainsborough, have highlighted the potential utilization of “alternative sources of customer credit” – implying that short-term loans could have detrimental effects on individuals with gambling addictions – if credit cards are prohibited.
Furthermore, the university posits that attempts to restrain online gambling dependency could be hindered if credit cards are eliminated from the equation, potentially affecting how operators monitor those who gamble recklessly.
The potential issues with short-term loans were a recurring topic throughout the submissions. The coalition stated that evidence from the UK indicated that those who experienced gambling-related harm were more prone to accessing “multiple types of credit,” such as short-term loans. Meanwhile, the Australian Department of Social Services cited the use of offshore credit cards and a rise in Australian gamblers seeking short-term loans as possible outcomes of the prohibition.
To demonstrate how widespread credit card usage is in gambling, the university also cited research by Gainsbury, Procter and Blaszczynski, which outlined how 82% of the 564 participants surveyed in a study of Australian online gambling companies utilized debit or credit cards to make deposits.
In August, members of Responsible Gambling Australia, including well-known online operators such as bet365 and Entain, agreed to support a ban on the use of credit cards for gambling.
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