An Australian parliamentary committee has announced an inquiry into the impact of online gambling on society, with a particular focus on consumer protection issues.
This comes amid concerns the increasing prevalence of online gambling in the country could lead to a rise in problem gambling in the future.
Inquiry to Look at Effectiveness of Consumer Protections
The inquiry, which will be conducted by the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs of Australia’s House of Representatives, will look into whether the country has adequate online gambling controls and measures in place and whether they are effective enough in protecting customers from gambling harm.
Legislators will review existing laws and regulations and evaluate their appropriateness in relation to emerging technologies and payment options, including blockchain-based products and applications such as cryptocurrency and NFTs – both of which are now being adopted in the online gambling market.
Committee to Accept Submissions until Nov. 11
Additionally, the committee, headed by Peta Murphy MP, will look at the education and support programs currently available in the country to combat problem gambling and also assess whether the gambling service definition laid out in the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 needs to be modified given the emergence of new “gambling-like” offerings in video games, such as the controversial loot boxes.
The Committee will accept submissions on consumer protection from the relevant individuals and organizations until November 11.