As part of its latest budget, on Tuesday the Australian government unveiled a significant funding package of AU$112.7 million (US$73.3 million) over five years from 2025-26 to reduce gambling harms. Current ongoing funding is estimated at AU$18.1 million per year beyond initial term.
The package, titled “Addressing Online Gambling Harms”, is supported primarily by the Department of Social Services, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The details formed part of part of the Australia 2026-27 budget papers.
Additional funding will be sourced through an increase in the levy applied to licensed operators that provide access to the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER).
When looking at departmental allocations, the department of Social Services will increase their funding from AU$13.5 million in 2026-27 to AU$21.2 million in 2027-28.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts’ funding towards gambling harms will also increase to AU$12.5 million in 2026–27.
Meanwhile gambling regulator, the ACMA, will provide AU$3.2 million in initial additional funding and a further AU$5.2 million annually from 2026-27 to 2029-30. This will partly be funded through the self-exclusion scheme levy, which is paid by operators to help fund the platform’s operation.
Where’s the funding going?
The government’s package features four major components designed to address both the demand and the supply aspects of online gambling harm:
- Financial counselling expansion: AU$39 million ($25.4 million) over four years from 2026-27, transitioning to a steady AU$10 million annually thereafter. This will go towards improving the availability and reach of financial counselling services for individuals and families affected by gambling harm.
- BetStop enhancements: AU$28.7 million ($18.7 million) over four years, with AU$3.2 million ongoing annually beyond that. This is intended for expansion of community awareness of BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion register. It is also to improve data-matching systems and enhance usability to increase client safety.
- Wagering advertising, enforcement and consumer protection: AU$22.6 million ($14.7 million) over five years beginning 2025-26, alongside AU$4.9 million annually ongoing after that. This will enforce wagering advertising reforms, targeting illegal gambling services, and safeguard consumers from harmful online lottery products.
- National public awareness and education campaign: AU$22.4 million ($14.6 million) over three years starting 2026-27. This will be used to run a national campaign encouraging people affected by gambling harm to seek support.
The self-exclusion levy
Part of the funding will come from reallocations within existing departmental budgets. An increase on the levy charged to licensed operators on the NSER will finance the remainder.
Payments attributed to this levy suggest significant contributions, with ACMA receipts projected at AU$16.9 million in 2027-28, declining in subsequent years.
The levy supports the administration of BetStop, which mandates licensed Australian bookmakers to cross-check and honour self-exclusions. The ACMA implemented the levy in 2019 under the National Self‑exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill 2019.
An amendment that detailed the levy would increase from 30% for 2023 FY to 35% for 2024 and 2025.
The ACMA, in its cost recovery implementation from 2025, reported that the levy percentage is based on the upfront costs required to operate and maintain the platform. It intends for the NSER to be cost-neutral in 2026-27 with only operating costs being charged through the levy and not upfront costs.
While the increase was confirmed, the exact percentage amount was not detailed. However, in previous documents outlining the levy, the ACMA forecast the cost of delivering and operating the platform between 2026-27 would be AU$6.12 million, an approximately 15% increase from the previous period.
Recent gambling reforms
The budget comes a month after the Australian federal government announced a package of gambling reforms that focused on advertising and curbing offshore operators.
The reforms, which will come into effect in January 2027, conclude years of speculation following the late MP Peta Murphy’s amendment to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. In it, the MP called for a ban on gambling advertising alongside 31 other recommendations for reform.
According to the new rules, the government will ban televised gambling advertisements entirely during live sports broadcasts. The government will also prohibit radio advertising during critical parental times.
Additionally, the government will ban gambling ads on digital platforms unless users are logged in, aged over 18 and are provided with an option to opt out of seeing them.
Kathryn Evans
Kathryn covers bitesize breaking news with a primary focus on EMEA and US legislation. A proud North Walian, fluent Welsh speaker and lifelong Wrexham FC fan – long before Hollywood came calling.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/finance/self-exclusion-levy-increase-fund-gambling-harm-prevention-aus-gov/
