Legislation
Australia – House of Representatives of the Australian Federal Parliament pass first reading of bill banning social casinos
By Phil - 22 June 2020
The Australia Government is looking to ban social casino games with proposed legislation passing its first reading in the House of Representatives of the Australian Federal Parliament.
The bill, tabled by Andrew Wilkie MP, and called the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Banning Social Casinos and Other Measures) Bill 2020 stipulates that any form of real-money online casino is banned, and that social casinos should be reclassified and included in the real-money category.
Mr. Wilkie said: “Social casino games can also pave the way for problematic gambling, because they normalise gambling behaviours, increase the player’s confidence in winning and make gambling seem more socially acceptable and risk-free. This not only instils false confidence in players and encourages greater spending on social casinos but also primes players for movement on to more serious gambling sites”
“Australian research has found that gambling-like games on social media effectively prepare children for gambling with real money later in life, because they familiarise underage users with how to play casino games. Even if the underage player is not spending real currency, the simulated casino game can make young people more susceptible to gambling mechanics, to psychological tricks and to addiction,” he added.
“In addition, gambling research shows that in times of great emotional or financial stress people are more likely to lose more money, making the COVID-19 pandemic a perfect storm for online gambling losses.”
