New South Wales (NSW) has intensified its campaign against underage gambling, with the Australian state enforcing tougher punishments for offenders. The new rules come ahead of the holiday period during which casino activity is expected to surge.

Fines, Ban Await Violators

Under state laws, individuals under the age of 18 are prohibited from entering a casino or using fake IDs to gain entry to gambling venues across NSW. Minors are also not allowed to buy or consume alcohol. 

Those caught violating the rules could now be banned from the state’s casinos for at least 12 months, or receive a maximum fine of $2,200. At the moment, two casinos are operating in NSW, Crown Sydney and The Star Sydney.

Repeat offenders could face imprisonment of up to 12 months, penalties of up to $5,500, or both. Additionally, violators will not be allowed to keep any winnings from gambling.

NSW Casino Operators Warned to Fulfill their Duties

Announcing the new sanctions, Jane Lin, Executive Director for Regulatory Operations at Liquor & Gaming NSW, said they’ll be dispatching inspectors to casinos to monitor compliance. Lin warned operators to also fulfill their obligations to prevent minors from entering their premises as they may also be subject to enforcement actions if they fail in their duties.

The Australian state of Victoria could introduce a primetime ban on gambling advertisements, similar to what is currently implemented in South Australia. The measure is among the key recommendations of the state’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) which recently concluded its review of three Auditor-General reports on the regulation of gambling and liquor in Victoria.

Primetime Ban Needed Amid Proliferation of Gambling Ads in Victoria

Under PAEC’s proposal, gambling adverts will be banned on television from 4 pm to 7:30 pm, adopting an existing policy in South Australia. The Committee made the recommendation after a 2021 study by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found that over 900 gambling ads were broadcast daily on free-to-air TV in Victoria, with 148 broadcast between 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm every weeknight.

PAEC also highlighted the rapid increase in the number of gambling ads aired on free-to-air TV and radio across the country, which reached over one million in a span of a year (May 2022 – April 2023). The majority of those ads were from online wagering companies, PAEC revealed.

PAEC has also called on the Victorian government to reduce the number of electronic gaming machines throughout the state and review existing gambling loss limits. The Committee issued a total of 61 recommendations aimed at protecting vulnerable groups, especially children and young people.

Dutch gambling regulator the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has launched a pilot campaign aimed at improving public awareness of the country’s gambling self-exclusion register, CRUKS.

KSA Undertakes CRUKS Awareness Tests on Social Media 

Initially launched on October 1, 2021 as part of the opening of the Dutch regulated online gambling market, CRUKS has been updated this year to include new functions and features, making it much easier for Dutch customers to self-exclude from gambling. 

Some of the changes will be the inclusion of a reflection period for 8 days which will help those who need to curtail their gambling activities online and the addition of gambling stop slogan which replaces the earlier slogan of play break! 

As part of the pilot campaign, the KSA has rolled out tests across social media platforms to identify the most effective messages and channels to inform users about CRUKS and the benefits of keeping their gambling under control. The campaign is mainly focused on the most at-risk target groups, the regulator stated.

The CRUKS pilot campaign is among a number of initiatives spearheaded by the KSA this year as its Chairman René Jansenprepares to leave his post in January 2024. The outgoing KSA head said stricter rules must be implemented, especially in the areas of duty of care and record-keeping, to ensure strong protection for Dutch customers.

Jamaica is set to implement tougher advertising rules for the gambling industry amid concerns young people are becoming increasingly exposed to gambling-related marketing and advertising, leading to a rise in gambling prevalence rates among those under the age of 25.

The country’s Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) is currently conducting a consultation on the proposed new measures which were drafted after a new gambling prevalence study showed that 50% of those who engaged in gambling in the past year were under 25 years old.

The BGLC also received concerns directly from Jamaican schools about students engaging in gambling activities.

Operators Must Use Clear Messaging

The new rules will require operators to use clear messaging and avoid misleading imagery or statements in all of their marketing communications. In particular, any gambling promotion/communication must clearly indicate the +18 gambling age restriction and highlight a “play responsibly” message. Furthermore, young people aged under 25 should not feature in any gambling ad. 

The primary aim of the new measures is to ensure truthful marketing, clear communication of risks, and enhanced protection for vulnerable groups, especially younger people. The BGLC aims to enforce the new rules by April 1, 2024.

Sweden’s gambling regulator, the Spelinspektionen, has called on the government to reconsider the proposed implementation of a credit card ban which is aimed at combating gambling-induced debt. The authority made its views clear about the ban in its response to a government consultation regarding enhanced consumer protection against risky lending and over-indebtedness. 

Spelinspektionen Supports Credit Card Ban

Back in July, the government published a report on its inquiry on over-indebtedness which includes a proposal to prohibit credit card gambling. Responding to a consultation on this matter, Spelinspektionen said it supports the inquiry’s recommendation to extend the credit card ban in the Gambling Act to include third parties. 

Under the measure, licensed gambling operators and so-called “gambling agents” will be prohibited from promoting and facilitating credit card payments for the purpose of gambling.

Govt. Should Consider Ban’s Impact in UK, Norway

While the authority backs the ban, it noted in its response that it cannot be imposed at this time due to “practical problems” associated with the measure.

Spelinspektionen also stated that prior to implementing the ban, the government must first examine the impact of a similar measure currently in place in the UK and Norway.