Fair and Secure Play - The Cobber Casino Commitment for Australian Gamblers
Australian government lawmakers recently implemented reforms to the way gambling is regulated within their borders, in response to concerns raised by various inquiries and Royal Commissions concerning conduct of gambling in Australia. Changes include new restrictions on gaming machine operation, such as expanded responsible gambling obligations and mandatory pre-commitment (designed to prevent problem gambling by barring individuals from continuing betting services after having reached their limit). Furthermore, provisions have been introduced requiring all new casino workers to undergo training and certification prior to being granted access to operate gaming machine areas in an open public area.
These changes also introduce a national minimum wage for casino staff, which will take effect from 1 July 2023 and is projected to raise casino employees' wages by at least 7.5%. Furthermore, new nationally consistent responsible gambling messaging will be displayed across licensed online wagering service provider websites and advertisements; such messages will highlight risks and harms of online betting while offering help or self-excluding from it.
Gambling activities in Australia are regulated at both State/Territory and Federal levels, and each State and Territory has its own gambling law with an associated Gambling Control Commission for licensing and compliance functions. Furthermore, the Productivity Commission conducts research into various issues impacting welfare across Australia.
Online wagering service providers licensed under gambling law cannot extend credit to people gambling through their sites and apps (with some exceptions). Newly-enacted laws mandate that casinos, Retail Wagering Licensees, Corporate Bookmakers, and on-course bookmakers block all BINs (Bank Identification Numbers) used for betting products destined to prevent credit card fraud by blocking stolen BINs being used to authorise transactions and reduce money laundering risks.
Skill-based games on mobile phones and tablets are an increasingly popular form of entertainment; however, they do not fall under the definition of gambling and therefore are not subject to specific legislation in Australia.
ABS statistics provide comparative measures of socio-economic disadvantage and advantage across Australia's geographical regions, using Census data. The information is then used by local governments, businesses and other organisations for planning decisions, investment decisions, community development services delivery as well as funding allocation priorities and policy development decisions. Regular updates to this data can be found via their website. Visit https://cobbercasino.info now and dive into the exciting world of Cobber Casino.