Arabic version: مشروع قانون للمقامرة في الإقليم الشمالي يثير اعتراضات القطاع

According to ABC News, a private member’s bill proposed by independent MLA Justine Davis would impose major new restrictions on online bookmakers licensed in the Northern Territory. The legislation is scheduled to be introduced to NT parliament next Wednesday and would affect 50 operators, including Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and Bet365, as well as their customers across Australia.

The bill proposes monthly deposit caps of $500 for people aged 18 to 21 and $1,000 for those aged 22 to 24. It would also introduce a complete ban on inducements and prohibit advertising “likely to be available to children”.

Ms Davis’s proposal would strengthen the Northern Territory’s gambling regulator, which acts as Australia’s de facto watchdog because of the number of online bookmakers licensed in the Territory. The maximum disciplinary penalty available to the regulator would rise from $194,000 to $10 million, or 10 per cent of annual revenue.

Responsible Wagering Australia, whose six members include Sportsbet, Bet365 and UniBet, criticised the plan as a “blunt, one-size-fits-all approach”. A spokesperson said age-based deposit limits and a promotions ban did not account for different adult financial circumstances and risk levels. The group said federal reforms passed in August, including advertising restrictions and tighter inducement rules, should be allowed to take effect next year rather than be followed by jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction measures.

The industry body also said further restrictions could push Australians towards illegal offshore gambling sites without Australian consumer protections or government oversight. NT Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said the government would consider the proposals, while saying the Country Liberal Party would not risk driving punters to unregulated offshore operators. Territory Labor members have said the opposition will support the bill.