Victoria makes first move on AUS National Framework
Victoria has become the first Australian state to implement the mandate of the federally approved ‘National Consumer Protection Framework’, adding several new policies and requirements to its online gambling laws.
Commonly referred to as the ‘National Framework’, the mandate was first established in December 2018, with the governments of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia agreeing to collaborate on developing ‘consistent gambling policies’.
Sanctioned by Australia’s Department for Social Services, the National Framework was established to ensure ‘greater public safeguards, standards and harm reductions’ are met by Australian online gambling incumbents.
Starting next week, Victoria – Australia’s second most populous state – will implement the ‘ten uninformed standards’ of the National Framework:
- Prohibiting all lines of credit funding for online wagering/gambling
- Barring payday lending functions for betting consumers
- Developing unified ID-verification standards and processes
- Applying restrictions on inducements – vouchers, refer-a-friend schemes and bonuses
- Enforcing a ‘voluntary opt-out’ player commitment scheme
- Establishing standards and requirements for consistent messaging on online gambling marketing
- Monitoring online gambling operator staff training
- Putting forward requirements on data gathering of player transactions and activities
- Supervising correct operator ‘Account Closure’ procedures
- Establishing and operating Australia’s ‘National Self Exclusion Register’
Despite having been ratified by the nation’s six state governments, as yet no other Australian state has committed to applying the National Framework’s mandate.
Approving tougher measures, Victoria Gaming Minister Marlene Kairouz detailed that the state would set the standard for consumer protections on online gambling, urging Australian states to ‘follow our lead’.
Source: SBC News
