The spokesperson for the most prominent community of players in Australia maintains that gamblers should be allowed to gamble even if there’s a threat of debts.
Recently, Queensland MP Andrew Wallace said the banks are responsible for their clients, and they should control how the latter use their credit cards. According to him, it is not acceptable to use credit cards for online gambling. The banks, on the contrary, reported that they do not plan to change their banking policies as to how clients use the cards. They say if the player decides to gamble with the credit card, it is his/her personal choice.
The experts from the field of online casinos who compiled the list of Best Live Casinos Available Online in 2021 hold the opinion that online gambling has greater safeguards than offline casinos or slots can offer. Brent Jackson, leading managing director of Responsible Wagering Australia, expressed his opinion on the topic recently, after the demand to stop the use of credit cards in online gambling. The opponents of iGaming were pushing banks to allow punters to place online bets using only their own money.
Brent Jackson said that clients pay 22 per cent in interest on their credit cards. And it is not acceptable that people use credit money for gambling and betting.
For 20 years, Australian punters have been incapable of gambling with credit cards in casinos and slots. Mr. Jackson stresses out that there is no serious reason to forbid Australians to play with credit money and practically go into debt. He claims that online gambling is much more secure and trustworthy than gambling at offline casinos. Online gambling platforms are strictly controlled and audited; they follow much stricter legislation. Also, with the help of modern technologies, it is easier to control gambling behaviour and resort to responsible gambling online. As Brent Jackson says, online gambling immediately acts when a player’s worrying behaviour is observed.
Apart from the ban on the website, a number of interventions can be undertaken. These include direct calls to customers and discussions about their risky behaviour. But punters can be allowed to decide themselves whether they use credit card money or their own funds for gambling.
“We believe that customers should have the freedom to pick the option and immediately control their betting,” Jackson said.
In 2019, the Australian Banking Association asked its members, the general public, and different experts in the field to express their attitude and ideas as to the question of banks restricting the use of credit cards among active punters at Australian online casinos. 81 per cent of Australian respondents replied that this should be limited or forbidden, while 7 per cent backed a no-restriction decision. Gamblers are sometimes described as “vulnerable clients;” so, they must be protected, some experts say. Last year, an independent survey of around 2,000 people revealed one in three registered at an online casino within the previous three months. The largest growth was among people aged 18–34, who are gambling and paying more than others. Sportsbet’s earnings increased by 108 per cent in the second quarter of the last year, growing from $96 million to $191m.
Many gambling providers offer their services, including casino games, electronic slots, scratch-its, lottery tickets, raffles, betting, and many more. The most reliable service is Aussie Online Casino, including Top New Casinos by Gifts Australia, which strictly follows the rules of responsible gambling.
If you or your friends and relatives need help, make a call:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858
- Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
