Nation-wide consumer protection network ready for implementation

Australian framework sets 10 minimum standards for online betting operators and clears the way for a full self-exclusion scheme.

Australian federal Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher announced Thursday that all Australian states and territories have now signed off on the new National Consumer Protection Framework, a concept that has taken years to bring to fruition and which lays down 10 minimum standards for online betting operators.

Now that all the states and territories are on board, implementation across the nation can go ahead, a process that observers believe may take up to eighteen months to complete.

Arguably the element that has attracted the most publicity on the framework has been the provision of a nation-wide, single entry self-exclusion system for gamblers who feel they may be developing a problem.

There is also provision for punters to pre-commit to set wagering and deposit limits in a system which supporters claim will position Australia among the world leaders in responsible gambling.

Other framework provisions require operators to provide punters with detailed wagering histories, and prohibit the use of operator “inducement” tactics designed to persuade punters to open betting accounts.

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