An Australian national audit of responsible gambling programs

This paper reports on a national audit of responsible gambling measures in Australia, both mandated by Acts and Regulations and encouraged by voluntary industry programs and codes of practice. The audit covered all Australian jurisdictions and the main gambling sectors, including casinos, hotels, clubs, TABs and lotteries, as well as some keno and online operations. Data was gathere d from around 80 government and industry organisations representing gambling sectors and regulatory bodies in all Australian states and territories, as well as secondary material where available. Data were analysed in terms of responsible gambling practices, stewardship processes, program implementation and effectiveness. The audit revealed substantial variation in mandated requirements in responsible conduct of gambling, both amongst the jurisdictions and amongst the different gambling sectors. The 30 voluntary codes examined showed similar variation. The study concludes that jurisdictions and industry stakeholders have typically acted independently and in a 'knee-jerk' manner to increasing expressions of community concern about problem gambling. It identifies numerous deficiencies in current responsible gambling measures and highlights the need for further research to test the efficacy of such measures.