Increasing provider transparency requirements
Increasing transparency requirements for providers (under "The future of online gambling in Australia")
Context: Where regulation is headed
The base for the industry remains the federal Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) and the nationwide National Consumer Protection Framework (NCPF), which set the rules for online and telephone rates, advertising restrictions and consumer protection standards. Increased transparency in 2023-2025 occurs precisely through these tools and is accompanied by active oversight of ACMA.
Key changes 2023-2025 that directly increase transparency
1. BetStop is a national self-exclusion registry (NSER).
Launched on August 21, 2023; mandatory for all licensed online and telephone betting providers. Providers must be connected to the system, close self-excluded accounts, block bets and not send them marketing. As of June 30, 2025 - 44,841 registrations, 30,032 active exceptions.
2. Banning credit cards and "digital currencies."
From June 11, 2024, operators are not entitled to accept credit cards and digital currencies for online and telephone rates. This eliminates opaque funding sources and reduces the risk of abuse.
3. Pre-identity verification (ACIP/KYC) - before opening an account.
From September 29, 2024, operators are required to complete identification procedures before creating an account or providing services; temporary relief canceled. This eliminates gray registrations and increases confidence in customer data.
4. Monthly client activity statements + long-term data access.
From July 2022, operators are required to send free monthly reports on betting activity to all active customers (without the requirement to log into an account). NCPF visual standards require that losses be highlighted in red, winnings in black and not use green, and that transaction history be accessed in at least 7 years. This makes spending and winning visual and comparable between operators.
5. Uniform "harm messaging" in advertising and communications.
A set of 7 standardized warnings has been introduced (instead of "Gamble responsibly"), for example: "You win some. You lose more», «Chances are you’re about to lose», и др. They are required in the established formats and channels.
6. Increased surveillance and blocking of illegal sites.
ACMA expands the blocking of offshore illegal services: as of August 13, 2025, 1,296 sites were blocked, about 220 left the market. This increases market transparency for consumers and reduces the "noise" from unlicensed offers.
7. Advertising and coefficient display rules.
Limited slots for advertising and odds during children's programs and live sports; there is a framework in place against misleading and socially irresponsible advertising.
What is already required from providers (practical transparency checklist)
BetStop connection and processes:
Risk identification and management (before registration):
Payments and withdrawals:
Client reports and data:
Advertising, risk communications and communications:
Supervision and compliance risks:
What it means for users and the market
More transparent money: banning credit cards/cryptocurrencies and standardized reports improve control over their own spending and reduce the "disguise" of sources of funds.
Fewer "dark" scenarios: Pre-verification and BetStop reduce the likelihood of bypassing restrictions and "random" registrations.
The advertising environment is cleaner: uniform warnings and time slots reduce the impact of aggressive marketing on vulnerable groups.
Trajectory 2025-2026: where transparency will increase further
BetStop coverage expansion. The industry is publicly proposing to extend the register to retail betting, lotteries and keno; the government is conducting a formal review of BetStop. A likely vector is a more complete list of verticals and unification of self-exclusion rules.
Tougher to violations. ACMA will continue blocking and investigations; lock statistics and fresh cases indicate sustained tightening.
Advertising under pressure from politics. The recommendations of the parliamentary report You win some, you lose more (up to a phased ban on advertising and part of "inducing" offers) remain on the agenda, although the government postponed them. Discussion will inevitably return - expect additional requirements for disclosures and formats.
Minimum transparency standards that should be fixed now (to advance the regulator)
Public card of commissions and limits (deposits/withdrawal, terms, exceptions) in one place on the site/in the application.
Dashboard "My Month" with cumulative figures (deposits, conclusions, net result, time in the game) and monthly comparisons.
Visible one-click self-exclusion/limits button from the main menu and from the betting feed.
Auto-flags of anomalies (jumps in deposits, night activity, frequent cancellation of bets) with proactive communication to the client.
A separate report on bonuses and "free" bets in the activity statements and in the account.
Logs of BetStop checks and KYC events for internal audit and for inspections (with a policy of storing and reproducibility of events).
References to normative and facts
IGA and the role of ACMA; NCPF frame:
Context: Where regulation is headed
The base for the industry remains the federal Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) and the nationwide National Consumer Protection Framework (NCPF), which set the rules for online and telephone rates, advertising restrictions and consumer protection standards. Increased transparency in 2023-2025 occurs precisely through these tools and is accompanied by active oversight of ACMA.
Key changes 2023-2025 that directly increase transparency
1. BetStop is a national self-exclusion registry (NSER).
Launched on August 21, 2023; mandatory for all licensed online and telephone betting providers. Providers must be connected to the system, close self-excluded accounts, block bets and not send them marketing. As of June 30, 2025 - 44,841 registrations, 30,032 active exceptions.
2. Banning credit cards and "digital currencies."
From June 11, 2024, operators are not entitled to accept credit cards and digital currencies for online and telephone rates. This eliminates opaque funding sources and reduces the risk of abuse.
3. Pre-identity verification (ACIP/KYC) - before opening an account.
From September 29, 2024, operators are required to complete identification procedures before creating an account or providing services; temporary relief canceled. This eliminates gray registrations and increases confidence in customer data.
4. Monthly client activity statements + long-term data access.
From July 2022, operators are required to send free monthly reports on betting activity to all active customers (without the requirement to log into an account). NCPF visual standards require that losses be highlighted in red, winnings in black and not use green, and that transaction history be accessed in at least 7 years. This makes spending and winning visual and comparable between operators.
5. Uniform "harm messaging" in advertising and communications.
A set of 7 standardized warnings has been introduced (instead of "Gamble responsibly"), for example: "You win some. You lose more», «Chances are you’re about to lose», и др. They are required in the established formats and channels.
6. Increased surveillance and blocking of illegal sites.
ACMA expands the blocking of offshore illegal services: as of August 13, 2025, 1,296 sites were blocked, about 220 left the market. This increases market transparency for consumers and reduces the "noise" from unlicensed offers.
7. Advertising and coefficient display rules.
Limited slots for advertising and odds during children's programs and live sports; there is a framework in place against misleading and socially irresponsible advertising.
What is already required from providers (practical transparency checklist)
BetStop connection and processes:
- Technical integration and daily synchronization; automatic closure of existing self-excluded accounts and a ban on opening new ones.
- Blocking bets and prohibiting direct marketing to persons from the register.
- Documented procedures and event logs for regulator audit.
Risk identification and management (before registration):
- Complete ACIP/KYC before creating an account; record valid ID types and failure scenarios.
- Exclude "conditional access" without verification.
Payments and withdrawals:
- Update payment policy and interfaces: remove credit cards and digital currencies; explicitly state supported methods, fees, deadlines, and limits.
- Configure failure control using prohibited methods on all platforms (web, iOS/Android, phone).
Client reports and data:
- Automatic distribution of monthly activity statements to everyone with activity for the previous month (without the need for a login at the request of NCPF).
- Perform visualization standards (red for losses, black for winnings; without green), allocate bonus and free bets separately; store and provide 7-year history.
Advertising, risk communications and communications:
- Use only approved warning statements and call-to-action required within each channel/media.
- Observe advertising time/content restrictions and avoid misleading statements.
Supervision and compliance risks:
- Wait for active ACMA checks; BetStop/marketing violations result in warnings, fines, and public communications. Precedents with large fines (for example, Unibet, May 2025) showed the regulatory position of "zero tolerance."
What it means for users and the market
More transparent money: banning credit cards/cryptocurrencies and standardized reports improve control over their own spending and reduce the "disguise" of sources of funds.
Fewer "dark" scenarios: Pre-verification and BetStop reduce the likelihood of bypassing restrictions and "random" registrations.
The advertising environment is cleaner: uniform warnings and time slots reduce the impact of aggressive marketing on vulnerable groups.
Trajectory 2025-2026: where transparency will increase further
BetStop coverage expansion. The industry is publicly proposing to extend the register to retail betting, lotteries and keno; the government is conducting a formal review of BetStop. A likely vector is a more complete list of verticals and unification of self-exclusion rules.
Tougher to violations. ACMA will continue blocking and investigations; lock statistics and fresh cases indicate sustained tightening.
Advertising under pressure from politics. The recommendations of the parliamentary report You win some, you lose more (up to a phased ban on advertising and part of "inducing" offers) remain on the agenda, although the government postponed them. Discussion will inevitably return - expect additional requirements for disclosures and formats.
Minimum transparency standards that should be fixed now (to advance the regulator)
Public card of commissions and limits (deposits/withdrawal, terms, exceptions) in one place on the site/in the application.
Dashboard "My Month" with cumulative figures (deposits, conclusions, net result, time in the game) and monthly comparisons.
Visible one-click self-exclusion/limits button from the main menu and from the betting feed.
Auto-flags of anomalies (jumps in deposits, night activity, frequent cancellation of bets) with proactive communication to the client.
A separate report on bonuses and "free" bets in the activity statements and in the account.
Logs of BetStop checks and KYC events for internal audit and for inspections (with a policy of storing and reproducibility of events).
References to normative and facts
IGA and the role of ACMA; NCPF frame:
-
BetStop: provider responsibilities; statistics:
-
Banning credit cards and digital currencies (from 11. 06. 2024):
-
Preliminary KYC verification (from 29. 09. 2024):
-
Monthly Statutes, Visual Standards, and 7-Year Access:
-
Uniform advertising risk warnings:
-
Blocking illegal sites (status on 13. 08. 2025):
-
Advertising limits (timeslots/content):
-
Parliamentary report recommendations and policy background:
💡Bottom line: the regulatory vector is obvious - "transparency by default." It is beneficial for providers not only to meet the minimum NCPF/IGA requirements, but to design products and processes so that the user sees and understands money, risks and control tools without hidden reservations. This will reduce regulatory risks and strengthen brand confidence in a market where unlicensed shadow is systematically supplanted.
