There may be bad news on the horizon for Aussie punters who use credit cards to fund their online sports betting. That’s because the Australian Banking Association (ABA) is considering a ban on such activities.

First, however, the organization wants to conduct research. To this end, they’re putting together a consultation paper on the “use of credit cards for gambling transactions.”

They’re urging members of the community to contribute to the findings, and this will go a long way towards influencing the final decision. Citizens began participating on December 5th, and they’ll be able to do so until March 4th.

A credit card ban is already in place throughout Australia at casinos, as well as video poker in clubs and pubs. However, the last time the subject was addressed, Oz didn’t have regulated online gambling. This is the market with the largest growth, and it’s estimated to have doubled in less than a decade.

The main purpose of the consultation is to answer five questions. These include:

  • What are the main risks associated with using a credit card to gamble?
  • Should gambling with a credit card be restricted or banned outright?
  • Which forms of gambling should bans or restrictions apply to?
  • What are the negatives for imposing bans or restrictions?
  • Should restrictions go into effect immediately, or should there be a period of transition?

Depending on the findings, punters may no longer be able to use credit cards to engage in online sports betting. If you have a strong opinion on the matter, you’re encouraged to participate.

More Australian Gambling News

In Australia, there’s never a shortage of news about gambling. For those who like to stay informed, here are a few more significant items from the last week.

Parliament Approves Self-Exclusion Registry

On Thursday, the parliament of Australia approved a self-exclusion register for Internet punters. This is the first-ever online register of its kind in the nation. It’s expected to be ready by May of 2023. If you’d like more details, check out my recent article on the Aussie self-exclusion register.

Pokie Protest in Wallan

Hogan's Hotel in Wallan, Victoria

Hogan’s Hotel, located at 92 High Street in Wallan, plans to increase its number of pokies from 45 to 65. They applied earlier in the year, and in May received approval from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. The approval came in spite of a unanimous vote of opposition from the Mitchell Shire Council.

A spokesperson representing the opposition said, “An independent report prepared for the Mitchell Shire Council showed there would be a detrimental social and economic impact of $6.84 million if the new 20 machines were introduced.

Last week, the Wallan Gateway Church hosted a community event for all those opposed to the new pokies. Members of the Victorian Local Governance Association were also in attendance to lend their support.

The group is appealing the approval of the new machines. They also instructed residents on the best way to write letters of opposition, as well as who to send them to.

According to church pastor Milton Oliver, “So we can say, ‘you know what, we’ll live with $4.6 million getting sucked out of our community by these vacuum cleaners they call poker machines. Or we can do nothing and watch $7 million get sucked out of the community.”

Criticism Directed at Bet365 Australia

Bet365 Australia is getting its fair share of negative publicity this week. This comes after a former employee blew the whistle about supposed unethical business practices.

James Poppleton worked as a customer account supervisor at Bet365 for 18 months. While admitting that he had an “acrimonious relationship” with his former employers, he still levelled the following charges:

  • He claims that Bet365 uses a slight delay on in-play phone wagers to determine if a bettor has some edge over their own team.
  • Poppleton has accused a Bet365 algorithm of limiting wagers for successful punters.
  • He also claims the same algorithm boosts wager limits for unsuccessful punters.

Of course, Bet365 has denied all these allegations. Despite this, they’re still taking a drubbing in the media. Meanwhile, the head of the Northern Territory Racing Commission claims to have received no complaints on the matter.

Other Reading

If you’d like to learn more about the wild world of Aussie gambling, take a look at these previous articles: