Australia’s online gambling service providers will be required to complete applicable customer identification procedures (ACIP) before creating any new online gambling accounts or commencing to provide any designated services under tightened pre-verification rules to come into effect next year.
According to anti-money laundering regulator AUSTRAC, the stricter rules will be enforceable from 29 September 2024, however interim arrangements are in place effective immediately to give gambling services time to adapt their systems to accommodate the change.
Under the guidelines, customers will not be permitted to make deposits or place bets until ACIP is completed.
This, AUSTRAC said, is vital in ensuring individuals on the National Self Exclusion Register do not use online gambling services, and that such services are not exploited by criminal actors.
The guidelines primarily apply to online sportsbooks given that neither online casino gaming nor online poker are permitted under Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act.
As previously reported by IAG, a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm recently recommended the establishment of a national gambling regulator to oversee all licensing and regulation nationwide. It also called for a complete ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling, to be phased in over three years.
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