Australia is moving ahead with a prohibition on credit card wagering, but specialists are urging for greater oversight.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies, referencing the UK’s successful prohibition on credit card gambling in 2020, is advocating for the legislation to be enacted. The institute asserted that the necessity for the ban is founded on findings by the UK Gambling Commission that 22% of those who gamble online using credit cards are problematic gamblers.
The institute also observed that the UK Gambling Commission discovered that 36% of online credit card gamblers gamble when “no other funds are accessible” (for example, inadequate account funds) when outlining the impact of credit cards on gambling.
The Gambling Reform Coalition concurs that prohibiting credit cards for wagering is not a rapid solution. They believe authorities and financial institutions must take more action to safeguard individuals from the detrimental effects of gambling.
The Coalition also alluded to the United Kingdom. They stated that individuals grappling with gambling can readily accumulate substantial debt using credit cards, particularly with exorbitant interest rates.
Australia’s Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) also expressed support for the prohibition. They are investigating the potential impact of banning credit cards on gambling enterprises.
The ACMA proposed several solutions based on a report they published in February 2021. They aim to clarify the definition of “credit” and determine whether gambling companies should be prevented from allowing individuals to reverse withdrawals.
Last year, the UK prohibited credit cards for gambling and prevented individuals from reversing withdrawals.
Australia’s Department of Social Services indicated the need to consider potential behavioral changes before implementing a credit card ban for gambling.
This implies that the legislation must be meticulously drafted to prevent individuals from circumventing the prohibition.
This matter was also brought up in a collective submission from the Australian Financial Counseling organization, the Consumer Action Law Center, and the Financial Rights Legal Center.
The document indicates that since the United Kingdom prohibited the use of credit cards for wagering, this loophole might involve using payment vouchers for gambling, a practice that has become more common in the UK.
It also mentioned forecasting ways to get around the credit card prohibition and assessing responsible loan lending principles.
The submission then requested further “future-proofing,” requiring regulatory bodies to have the authority to independently decide to consider certain practices as “illegal online gambling.”
In view of this, the three organizations also advocated for new forms of gambling to be deemed illegal, even if it is conducted on a hosted website in another nation. This could include peer-to-peer esports betting and virtual reality online casinos.
The joint submission included justifications for supporting the prohibition, noting the widespread ease of obtaining credit cards and the difficulty in escaping credit card debt.
Researchers at the University of Sydney, including Sally Gainsburg, highlighted the potential use of “alternative customer credit sources” – meaning short-term loans could negatively impact individuals with gambling addictions – if credit cards were banned.
Furthermore, the university contends that eliminating credit cards from the equation could impede endeavors to curb online gambling dependency and could impact operators’ capacity to monitor those who gamble irresponsibly.
The potential issues associated with short-term loans were a consistent theme across all the submitted materials. The coalition stated that evidence from the United Kingdom indicates that individuals who have experienced gambling-related harm are more likely to have acquired “various forms of credit,” such as short-term loans. Meanwhile, the Australian Department of Social Services cited an upsurge in the utilization of offshore credit cards and Australian gamblers seeking short-term loans as possible ramifications of the prohibition.
To exemplify the widespread use of credit cards in gambling, the university also referenced research conducted by Gainsbury, Procter and Blaszczynski, which elaborated that in a survey of 564 participants of Australian online gambling enterprises, 82% employed debit or credit cards to make deposits.
In August, members of Responsible Gambling Australia, including prominent online operators like bet365 and Entain, consented to endorse a prohibition on the use of credit cards for gambling.
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