“Gamble Responsibly” messaging to be scrapped in Australia by March 2023

The phrase “Gamble Responsibly” is set to be scrapped in Australia by March 2023, following research by the Department of Social Services.

The research included in-depth interviews and focus groups with 224 regular online gamblers as well as a survey of 5,000 gamblers and 1,000 members of the general public.

The new taglines include: “Chances are you’re about to lose.”; “Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?”; “What’s gambling really costing you?” and “What are you prepared to lose today? Set a deposit limit.”

The new messaging will be required to be in place across operators’ ads via TV, radio, apps, digital or print advertising, social media and websites.

The Commonwealth states and territory governments accepted the changes under the National Consumer Protection Framework.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said online betting was “fast becoming an increasing source of gambling and an increasing source of loss for people.”

She added: “The Albanese Labour government is committed to harm minimisation and practical solutions when it comes to addressing problem online wagering. We have consulted widely and, importantly, we have used evidence to inform these taglines.”

Companies have been asked to give the new taglines equal rotation over a 12-month period from March.

According to The Guardian, the Australian government stated that Australia has one of the highest gambling losses of any country, with an average of A$1,276 (£712.02) per person per year, with problem gambling rates at around 1.23% in 2019.

According to a report from Central Queensland University, this is higher among online users at 3.9%.