New self-exclusion software for Australian citizens will be available next year. Will it help settle down the hostile Aussi gambling market! (Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash)
Self-exclusion Software Australia: Australia’s plan to implement a national self-exclusion program for online and phone gambling took a leap forward with the recent announcement that Engine Australia (Engine) would deliver the project. Engine will begin early development and should start trialling the service at the end of this year and confirmed an expected launch of the service by mid-2022!
Engine Australia to develop a self-exclusion project
With the issues in regard to problem gambling regularly coming up in Australia the new Engine project is a sign that something is being done, and that gambling companies are actively investing in measures to help problem gamblers. As such Engine is being developed to soften what is currently a hostile marketplace. Ladbrokes recently reported issues with controlling problem gambling while there are plenty of other reports of issues with video slots and the government cracking down on gambling activity both online and land-based. However, to solve this, Engine software is on the way, and also the company already has experience in this type of development which should hopefully put some of those hostile minds at rest!
Engine Australia also developed GAMSTOP, a service in the UK for self-exclusion developed in 2018 to help gamblers in the UK stop and restrict their online gambling activities. After a simple sign-up process, inputting the required details such as date of birth, email address, address and postcode. This will restrict any attempts to register new memberships on gambling websites in Australia or applications with these details in the UK for a chosen length of time.
The GAMSTOP service for the UK was free for consumers and many expect this will be the case for those who live in Australia. Engine needs to ensure the service will restrict any licensed telephone and online betting operators and will enforce problematic gamblers to stop for at least three months and even as far as a permanent exclusion if decided by all relevant parties.
GAMSTOP service a success in the UK
Australian parliament had passed the legislation 18 months ago and The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) decided that given the success GAMSTOP had in the UK with a similar service, that Engine had the experience to deliver on the protections. ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin explained that once you choose to self-exclude, the gambler’s account will be closed, advertising stopped and the gambling operator returns any money.
O’Loughin stressed the importance that consumers and advocacy groups need to cooperate to meet the needs of the Australian people. The participants who wish to self-exclude contact with the operators and providers of the services they want to exclude from while the service initially gets underway.
There will also be other services and programs gamblers can sign up to such as a program called the Northern Territory Racing Commission, which includes the majority of Australia’s bookmakers and operators!
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