Northern Territory Bill Proposes Ban on Inducements, VIP Schemes and Age-Based Deposit Limits

Independent MLA Justine Davis will introduce a bill in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly on 21 October. The legislation seeks a full ban on player incentives including bonus and VIP schemes. It would also impose monthly deposit limits of AU$500 for players aged 18 to 21 and AU$1,000 for those aged 21 to 24.

The Northern Territory currently licenses 50 online bookmakers. These include bet365, SportsBet and Ladbrokes – three of the top four biggest brands in Australia as ranked by Blask. Disciplinary penalties for breaches would rise from $194,000 to $10m, or 10% of an operator’s annual revenue.

Federal Reforms and Shortfalls Identified in Murphy Report

Australia’s Labor government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese introduced federal reforms in August. These featured a whistle-to-whistle ad ban and sports sponsorship restrictions. Critics maintain the package falls short of the 2023 Murphy report by late Labor MP Peta Murphy, which called for a complete ban on gambling adverts and creation of a new regulator.

Advocacy Support and Expected Labor Backing

Davis has the backing of 33 advocacy groups and leaders who co-signed an open letter urging the Northern Territory government to support the bill. Shadow Racing Minister Chansey Paech told Davis that Labor will back the proposal, according to ABC News.

As reported by SBC News, Davis stated: “We now are in a real position where we can actually show some leadership in the Northern Territory and say, ‘Here’s some simple changes that we can make.’ The changes are not going to stop gambling, but they are going to prevent harm being done to people, both here in the Territory and across Australia.”

Reporting: SBC News

Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.