Australian Gambling Commission recommendations
Introduction
The minimum age of 18 years to participate in online gambling is fixed in Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The Australian Gambling Commission (ACMA) has worked with the State and Territory Councils of Ministers to produce a set of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of meeting this threshold and protecting minors.
1. Strengthening age verification mechanisms
Mandatory multi-factor verification
Integration of eID services (AusID, Equifax, DocuSign ID) for automatic verification of passport and driver's data.
Two-step verification: automatic verification plus random manual audit of documents (at least 5% of new accounts).
Inter-operator data exchange
Create a centralized age failure register available to all licensed operators.
Regularly synchronize lists of blocked and suspicious accounts.
2. Advertising control standards
Uniform age filters in all channels
Setting up targeting "18 +" in social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), DSP and contextual platforms.
Automatic blocking of advertising by keywords ("poker," "betting," "casino") for users without a confirmed age.
Increased time constraints
Recommendation to expand the advertising broadcast window (e.g. 21: 00-05: 00) for TV and radio.
Tracking placement in podcasts and streams: mandatory marking "Only 18 +" and warning on audio.
3. Monitoring and reporting
Quarterly reporting of operators
Statistics of attempts to register minors, blocking cases and appeal results.
KYC performance indicators: share of errors in verification and request processing time.
Independent compliance audits
Engage accredited auditors (once a year) to review all verification and advertising procedures.
Publication of a brief audit result in the public domain (summary of the report).
4. Sanctions and enforcement
Progressive penalty scale
The amount of the fine depends on the number of minors admitted: from warning to blocking the license for repeated violations.
Introduction of a "point system": each approved registration = penalty point, upon reaching the threshold - suspension of the license.
Encouraging best practices
"Sign of reliability": public recognition of operators with zero violations per year.
Reducing the tax burden (audit credit) for companies that have implemented the recommended measures.
5. Educating and engaging with stakeholders
Education campaigns for parents
Joint ACMA and eSafety programs: webinars, brochures and online courses on recognizing the risks of adolescent gambling.
"Gambling Safe Families" platform with interactive tests and checklists.
Technology Platform Partnerships
A direct channel for exchanging information between the regulator and social networks/streaming services about violations of age restrictions.
Automatically notify operators when ad campaigns are detected without the correct 18 + filter.
6. Scientific support and research base
Crowdsourced research
Encouraging universities and NGOs to conduct surveys and experiments on the effectiveness of various age-gate mechanisms.
Publication of the annual "Juvenile Protection Index" with a rating of operators based on research results.
Long-term effects
Tracking youth gaming addiction rates (18-21 years) through collaboration with Mental Health Australia.
Analysis of the correlation between tightening age control and the level of illegal migration of players to offshore platforms.
Conclusion
The recommendations of the Australian Gambling Commission are a multi-level strategy: from strict technical verification and advertising filters to sanctions and incentives, educational initiatives and scientific support. Their implementation will provide reliable protection for minors and strengthen the legitimacy of online gambling at a minimum age of 18 years.
The minimum age of 18 years to participate in online gambling is fixed in Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The Australian Gambling Commission (ACMA) has worked with the State and Territory Councils of Ministers to produce a set of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of meeting this threshold and protecting minors.
1. Strengthening age verification mechanisms
Mandatory multi-factor verification
Integration of eID services (AusID, Equifax, DocuSign ID) for automatic verification of passport and driver's data.
Two-step verification: automatic verification plus random manual audit of documents (at least 5% of new accounts).
Inter-operator data exchange
Create a centralized age failure register available to all licensed operators.
Regularly synchronize lists of blocked and suspicious accounts.
2. Advertising control standards
Uniform age filters in all channels
Setting up targeting "18 +" in social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), DSP and contextual platforms.
Automatic blocking of advertising by keywords ("poker," "betting," "casino") for users without a confirmed age.
Increased time constraints
Recommendation to expand the advertising broadcast window (e.g. 21: 00-05: 00) for TV and radio.
Tracking placement in podcasts and streams: mandatory marking "Only 18 +" and warning on audio.
3. Monitoring and reporting
Quarterly reporting of operators
Statistics of attempts to register minors, blocking cases and appeal results.
KYC performance indicators: share of errors in verification and request processing time.
Independent compliance audits
Engage accredited auditors (once a year) to review all verification and advertising procedures.
Publication of a brief audit result in the public domain (summary of the report).
4. Sanctions and enforcement
Progressive penalty scale
The amount of the fine depends on the number of minors admitted: from warning to blocking the license for repeated violations.
Introduction of a "point system": each approved registration = penalty point, upon reaching the threshold - suspension of the license.
Encouraging best practices
"Sign of reliability": public recognition of operators with zero violations per year.
Reducing the tax burden (audit credit) for companies that have implemented the recommended measures.
5. Educating and engaging with stakeholders
Education campaigns for parents
Joint ACMA and eSafety programs: webinars, brochures and online courses on recognizing the risks of adolescent gambling.
"Gambling Safe Families" platform with interactive tests and checklists.
Technology Platform Partnerships
A direct channel for exchanging information between the regulator and social networks/streaming services about violations of age restrictions.
Automatically notify operators when ad campaigns are detected without the correct 18 + filter.
6. Scientific support and research base
Crowdsourced research
Encouraging universities and NGOs to conduct surveys and experiments on the effectiveness of various age-gate mechanisms.
Publication of the annual "Juvenile Protection Index" with a rating of operators based on research results.
Long-term effects
Tracking youth gaming addiction rates (18-21 years) through collaboration with Mental Health Australia.
Analysis of the correlation between tightening age control and the level of illegal migration of players to offshore platforms.
Conclusion
The recommendations of the Australian Gambling Commission are a multi-level strategy: from strict technical verification and advertising filters to sanctions and incentives, educational initiatives and scientific support. Their implementation will provide reliable protection for minors and strengthen the legitimacy of online gambling at a minimum age of 18 years.
