Sabra Lane: A problem gambler has found a loophole in the Federal Government’s self-exclusion scheme, BetStop. The flaw allowed the Sydney man to lose nearly $70,000 despite signing up to a lifetime gambling ban. He lost the money to eight online betting agencies during six months and he’s told AM he wants the loopholes closed and the bookmakers fined. The Australian Communications and Media Authority is now investigating certain betting agencies over the allegations of non-compliance with BetStop. Steve Cannane from ABC Investigations has this exclusive story.

Ravi: It’s really easy to do. Watch this.

Steve Cannane: Ravi, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, is showing AM how simple it is to circumvent the Albanese Government’s self-exclusion register. With phone in hand, he’s setting up a new betting account, something he shouldn’t be able to do due to his lifetime ban through BetStop. Removing one letter from his first name and using a different email address, within minutes he has a new account.

Ravi: There, it says I am verified. That means they have verified my ID. That they could not do because the name and the data I put does not exist.

Steve Cannane: When BetStop was launched, the Albanese Government introduced mandatory customer pre-verification and under that system, Ravi should not be verified. As the Government weighs up how to respond to the Parliamentary Inquiry into online betting harms, it’s been keen to stress other measures it’s introduced to combat online gambling harm, such as credit card bans and BetStop.

Anthony Albanese: My Government has done more in two years to restrict gambling than any previous Government has done, more than the previous Government did in its ten years, through measures like BetStop.

Steve Cannane: But Ravi says the much vaunted BetStop scheme has failed him. He says a week after he signed up, he tried an old account and was able to log in immediately. He later signed into another old account and was able to sign up with another six other betting agencies, all while on the BetStop register.

Ravi: Since February 2024, I was able to open accounts, make bets, about eight different betting companies and I’ve lost over nearly $70,000 since the last six months.

Steve Cannane: In a statement, a spokesperson for the Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, said …

Michelle Rowland Spokesperson: The Government will shortly commence a statutory review of BetStop to consider whether the regulatory framework is fit for purpose. The review will involve a public consultation process, with a report to be provided to the Minister for Communications within 18 months.

Steve Cannane: Independent MP Kate Chaney was on the Parliamentary Committee that called for a blanket ban on gambling advertising. That same committee also recommended that more guardrails be put on the BetStop system.

Kate Chaney: The betting agencies aren’t incentivised to try very hard to stop people who have registered with BetStop from setting up new accounts. And that’s why we had a recommendation that said banks need to get involved too, so that people who have registered with BetStop can’t use their cards for gambling transactions.

Sabra Lane: That’s Federal Independent MP Kate Chaney ending Steve Cannane’s report.