Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Curtin for her question and her genuine and ongoing commitment to reform in this area, and I know that's a commitment shared by all of the members of that standing committee of the 47th Parliament. I will assure the member for Curtin that that work goes on. This government has delivered the most significant online wagering harm reduction initiatives in a decade. That's what this government did last term, and that work continues. We take very seriously our responsibility to people affected by online wagering, particularly young people and particularly vulnerable people.

Obviously, I'm the new communications minister. I've been getting my feet under the desk, and as part of that work I have been taking meetings with harm reduction advocates, with the broadcasters and with the sporting codes to get my head around what the pathway looks like moving forward. I know that the Minister for Social Services and I have been working together on this, and we are committed to continuing the work of the previous ministers from the first term. That is very good work, because they were the most significant gambling harm reduction measures in Australian history. We banned the use of credit cards for online wagering. That is so significant. We launched BetStop, which is the national self-exclusion register. We forced online wagering companies to send their customers monthly activity statements to itemise their wins and their losses. We provided direct funding for specialist financial counselling to support people who are affected by problem gambling. We introduced new minimum classifications for video games with gambling-like content. We introduced new, evidence based taglines in wagering advertising. We introduced nationally consistent staff training and we established mandatory customer ID verification for online wagering.

At the end of June 2025, I can give an update to the member for Curtin that BetStop has recorded 44,841 registrations, 39 per cent of whom have chosen a lifetime ban. That is good work, and that work now goes on.

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