The Australian Government launched BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register (BetStop) on 21 August 2023. BetStop is the tenth and final measure of the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering.
Implemented by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), BetStop provides individuals, particularly those who may be vulnerable to gambling harm, the opportunity to self-exclude from all Australian licensed interactive wagering services (online and telephone-based) for a minimum period of 3 months, up to a lifetime.
Once a person is registered, wagering operators are prohibited from allowing them to place a bet or open a betting account and from sending marketing material – such as emails and SMS messages – to the registered person. Wagering providers are also required to close existing betting accounts for registered individuals.
Australians wanting to register can do so by visiting the BetStop website.
Statutory Review of BetStop
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) requires a review of BetStop after 12 months of operation to ensure it is working effectively as a measure to protect vulnerable Australians from gambling harm. The former Minister for Communications appointed Mr Richard Eccles to lead the Review.
In line with statutory requirements, the Review considered the effectiveness of BetStop’s underpinning regulatory framework (Part 7B of the IGA) and whether regulatory arrangements under the Interactive Gambling (National Self-Exclusion Register) Register Rules 2022 and the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Act 2019 are fit for purpose.
The BetStop Review report was tabled in Parliament on 25 February 2026 and has been published on the department’s website as required under the IGA.
The department has also published public submissions received during the consultation process.