Betstop Reaches 10,000 Signups As Aussies Post Record Losses
Over the last financial year, Australians have lost over $14.5 billion to pokies in pubs and clubs. This record sum is up significantly from just before the pandemic. Despite the cost of living crisis, Aussies continue to flock to pokies. That may also explain another interesting statistic released last week.
Back in August, BetStop was launched to allow players to self-exclude from licensed gambling services in Australia. Since then, nearly 10,000 players have self-excluded, with many under 40.
Pokies Losses Reach Record Levels
A recent report from the Alliance for Gambling Reform showed some amazing statistics for pokies in pubs and clubs. During the last financial year, pokies losses have hit a record $14.5 billion. This is around a 13% increase overall since the 2018-19 FY, the last before the global pandemic.
Over half of that amount was lost in NSW. NSW players lost $8.07 billion last financial year, a 23.7 per cent jump from 2018-19. Queensland was second with losses totalling $3.2 billion, up 33.6 per cent. Victoria was next with $3 billion in losses, a 12 per cent jump. South Australia had the highest percentage increase, up 34.6 per cent to $917 million. Tasmania saw a 10.5 per cent jump to $190 million.
Alliance chief executive Carol Bennett spoke with 9 News about the report, stating that the data was “really worrying” and is calling for the government to heavily regulate the industry. She says, “These staggering new loss figures show an industry that is out of control. And these figures don’t even count poker machine losses in our casinos.”
“The losses translate into very high levels of harm right across our community, whether it be financial loss, family breakdown, family violence, anxiety, depression, even suicide. It has a big impact in our community, and it’s an impact that we need to address.”
What is most interesting about the figures is how many pokies are in Australia compared to the rest of the world. Australia has 20 per cent of the world’s pokies. They also have 80 per cent of the world’s pokies outside casinos. This may partly explain why many players have begun reaching out for help in large numbers.
BetStop Receives Nearly 10,000 Registrations Thus Far
Back on 21 August, BetStop was launched. BetStop allows Aussies to self-exclude from licensed interactive wagering services. This covers telephone and online operators. Players can self-exclude from three months up to a lifetime.
Since the program’s launch, nearly 10,000 players have already registered for self-exclusion. According to reports, the majority of registrations are for players under 40. Also, it appears that lifetime self-exclusion is the most common registration. Typically, players can sign up in under five minutes.
Furthermore, players who opt to self-exclude can name support persons. These support persons are individuals who can help self-excluded players while they are on the self-exclusion list. All licensed operators in Australia are required to promote BetStop on marketing materials, apps, and websites.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland MP is pleased with the early success of BetStop. “The Albanese government is committed to minimising the harms associated with gambling online. That’s why we launched BetStop as the final measure of the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering. It’s fantastic to see BetStop making a big difference to nearly 10,000 Australians.”
BetStop only applies to online gambling, but it is showing that some Australians are taking advantage of responsible gambling tools to control their habits. Many pubs and clubs have self-exclusion programs that act similarly to BetStop, and as those processes become streamlined, players can easily self-exclude from pubs and clubs as they can from online sportsbooks.
