The Australian online gambling market has experienced rapid growth in recent years, reaching a valuation of USD 5.2 billion in 2024 and projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.88% to USD 8.9 billion by 2033. To address mounting concerns over gambling‐related harms, the federal and state governments have rolled out a suite of regulatory reforms in 2024–2025, reshaping how operators onboard customers, manage risks, and market their services.
Federal Regulatory Reforms
Credit Card Ban
On 11 June 2024, the Australian Government prohibited online wagering service providers from accepting credit cards, digital wallets linked to credit, or cryptocurrencies as payment methods, aligning online wagering with land‐based restrictions and aiming to curb gambling‐related debt
Strengthened Customer Identification Procedures (ACIP)
Effective 29 September 2024, all online gambling service providers must complete Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act customer identification procedures (ACIP) before opening an account, bolstering identity verification and fund‐source checks to mitigate money laundering risks
National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering (NCPF)
From 6 February 2025, the National Consumer Protection Framework (NCPF)—agreed jointly by the Commonwealth and state/territory governments—became a statutory requirement for all licensed online wagering operators. The NCPF mandates ten harm‐minimisation measures, including mandatory deposit limits, consistent gambling‐messaging standards, enhanced self‐exclusion mechanisms, and staff training obligations
National Self-Exclusion Register (BetStop) Enforcement
In early 2025, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) took enforcement action against PointsBet for failing to comply with BetStop self-exclusion requirements under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, signaling stricter oversight and highlighting the need for robust operator policies and procedures
Cost Recovery for Self-Exclusion Register
ACMA’s March 2025 Cost Recovery Implementation Statement for BetStop outlines levies on wagering operators to finance the national self-exclusion register, ensuring sustained funding for maintenance and outreach initiatives
Know Your Losses: Real-Time Activity Statements
The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Know Your Losses Activity Statement) Bill, introduced in February 2025, sought to require operators to display real‐time loss data to users on all online platforms. Though the bill lapsed at the March 2025 dissolution of Parliament, it exemplifies ongoing efforts to improve transparency and empower at-risk gamblers with immediate feedback on their betting. A parallel private member’s bill to ban all licensed wagering advertisements on broadcast and datacast media remains under consideration.
Advertising and Inducement Restrictions
Federal policymakers continue to debate tighter controls over gambling marketing. Independent Senator David Pocock has criticized the government’s inaction on banning inducements—free bets, bonus bets, and venue promotions—urging full implementation of the 31 recommendations from the 2023 Murphy Review to curb risky betting behaviors, particularly among young adults. Meanwhile, the Albanese Government’s partial ban on online ads (excluding print and delaying broadcast restrictions until 2026) has been labeled “manifestly inadequate” by health experts, who argue comprehensive restrictions are needed to reduce children’s exposure to gambling messaging . The government is consulting on proposals to limit gambling ads during live sports broadcasts and on digital platforms targeting under-35 year-olds
State-Level Reforms
Victoria: Pre-Commitment & Carded Play
On 2 June 2025, Victoria passed the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024, mandating pre-commitment for electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in casinos, hotels, and clubs and delaying the carded play trial to allow venue upgrades. This reform transitions Victoria’s voluntary system into a compulsory scheme requiring players to use registered cards, set monetary loss limits, and adhere to a minimum three-second spin rate on new machines
Western Australia: Operationalising NCPF
From 6 February 2025, Western Australia’s Gambling Regulations Amendment Regulations 2025 and Gaming Regulations Amendment Regulations (No 2) 2025 enacted the 2024 Gambling Legislation Amendment Act, formally embedding the NCPF’s statutorily prescribed obligations—such as deposit limits and harm messaging—for all online wagering conducted via telecommunications services
Responsible Gambling Messaging in WA
WA has also released new guidelines detailing “Benefits of Setting a Deposit Limit,” “Consistent Gambling Messaging Notices,” and approved “Responsible Service of Online Gambling Training,” ensuring that harm-minimisation messaging and staff accreditation are standardized across platforms
Enhanced Anti-Money Laundering Enforcement
In December 2024, AUSTRAC launched proceedings against Entain’s local unit (owner of Ladbrokes) for alleged AML/CTF breaches, accusing the operator of insufficient identity verifications and pseudonymous accounts for high-risk customers. Each alleged infraction carries penalties up to A$22.2 million, underscoring regulators’ intensified scrutiny of online betting platforms
Industry Impacts and Compliance Costs
These layered reforms have driven significant investment by operators in compliance infrastructure—upgrading software for real-time activity statements, integrating self-exclusion interfaces, and embedding deposit-limit controls within user journeys. Legal and consulting fees have risen sharply, and smaller operators face heightened barriers to entry, while major platforms must allocate more resources to regulatory reporting and staff training.
Future Outlook and Proposals
Looking ahead, policymakers are poised to revisit full advertising and inducement bans, universal pre-commitment for all interactive gambling, and expanded real-time consumer analytics to flag harmful patterns. A consolidated national regulatory framework, possibly under the Department of Social Services or ACMA’s oversight, could harmonize federal and state rules, reducing operator fragmentation and ensuring consistent consumer protection across Australia.
Conclusion
The 2025 wave of regulatory reforms marks the most significant overhaul of Australia’s online gambling landscape in decades—tightening payment methods, enhancing consumer safeguards, and amplifying harm-minimisation measures. As operators adapt to these changes, the spotlight shifts to evaluating their effectiveness in reducing gambling-related harm, ensuring that market growth proceeds hand-in-hand with robust protections for all Australians.