Independent MP for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie has put forward a bill that would require online gambling platforms to display a running tally of what players are losing, and what they have lost over time, for as long as they are playing. The proposal was reported by trade publication Casino.org.

What the bill would require

According to the report, the bill would oblige platforms to show a player's losses, and wins, at all times. The figures would cover three periods: the most recent calendar month, the most recent calendar year, and the time from the day the bill becomes law to the present.

The information would be present throughout play rather than buried in an account statement. Supporters argue that a running count would make losses feel more real to players. The report says that, while it may not be a complete solution to Australia's gambling problem, supporters believe it could drive significant behaviour change.

The source material does not say when the bill will be debated or voted on, which platforms or products would be covered in detail, or what penalties would apply for non-compliance. Those details are not disclosed.

Where the idea came from

The concept was submitted in 2023 to a parliamentary committee examining gambling reform by a member of the public, Jake Minear, a businessman from Western Australia. His reasoning, as relayed in the report, is that people would not accept an online bank account that hid their balance, so an online sportsbook should not leave customers guessing about their net losses.

Minear had wanted the tally to run back to the point when a customer first began betting on a given website. The report says that would require the bill to operate retrospectively, which would be impractical and legally complex. The start date was therefore set at the moment the bill becomes law.

Sharkie said at a recent news conference that the measure would be cheap to enforce.

"This would cost the government very, very little to police, but this would stop lives being lost." – Rebekha Sharkie MP

She also said, according to the report, that young people across Australia are losing thousands of dollars and cannot see a way out, and that the tally would help them see exactly how much they are losing. These are Sharkie's statements and the claim that the measure would prevent deaths or harm has not been tested in the source material.

The wider policy backdrop

The report cites government estimates that Australians lose more than A$25 billion (US$15.6 billion) a year on legal forms of gambling. That averages out at about A$21,000 (US$13,000) per person, according to the report's figures. It also states that almost 80% of the population gamble, and 38% do so at least once a week. The report describes Australians as losing more per capita than any other nation, but does not name the source of that comparison.

The bill arrives while the federal government is under pressure to act. The report says the Labor government backed out of a proposed blanket ban on gambling advertising, which was one of dozens of reforms recommended by the 2023 parliamentary committee. Instead of a full shutdown of gambling ads on TV, radio, newspapers and the internet, the government opted to restrict ads online and on television around children's programming and sporting events.

The report adds that the government has been accused of pandering to gambling and media interests at the expense of public health. That is an accusation made by unnamed critics, and the source material does not include a government response.

What to note

As a private member's bill from an independent, the proposal faces an uncertain path, and the source gives no timetable. Online casino services are prohibited in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and the measure as described is aimed at online gambling platforms such as sportsbooks. Anyone concerned about their gambling can contact Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858.