Summary
- Australia reaches a significant milestone by enrolling 40,000 participants in its self-exclusion program.
- This is the inaugural program that includes every state and territory.
- Eighty percent of individuals enrolled in the program are under 40 years old.
Australia's unified self-exclusion program, which was first launched on August 21, 2023, has announced its latest figures for the third quarter of the 2024/2025 period. The program has now registered a total of 40,121 participants.
BetStop continues to reach out to young Australians
The total number of registrations does not reflect the current enrollment in the program, as many participants have either ended their self-exclusion early or completed their designated exclusion period. As of March 31, 2025, BetStop's official records show that 27,763 individuals remain actively enrolled and benefiting from the program's protection. BetStop offers a range of exclusion periods from three months to a lifetime. Participants can choose to withdraw within seven days after submitting a valid application. However, those wishing to withdraw must first complete a minimum three-month self-exclusion period. BetStop provides registration data by jurisdiction, covering all eight territories and states in Australia. New South Wales has the highest number of total registrations, with 12,531 individuals enrolling in BetStop. Victoria follows with 10,800 registrations, and Queensland ranks third with 8,125 registrations. While BetStop has not detailed the number of current enrollees as of March 31, 2025, it does offer demographic insights. Notably, 46% of registrants are under 30 years of age. Additionally, 32% of registrants are between 31 and 40 years old, meaning nearly 80% of all registrations come from individuals under 40, highlighting the program's appeal among younger demographics. BetStop also provides aggregated data on exclusion options chosen by participants. The most common choices are exclusion periods ranging from three months to two years and the lifetime option, each accounting for 39% of selections.
Research into Australia’s problem gambling is ongoing
Seventeen percent of registrants opted for a 3-month exclusion period, while just 1% chose to exclude themselves for more than five years. Additionally, 4% selected an exclusion period ranging from two to five years. BetStop has been largely regarded as successful, although it's estimated that Australia's population of problem gamblers might exceed the 40,000 individuals mentioned. On September 7, 2023, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released a detailed report on gambling in Australia. This report highlighted research suggesting that 45% of Australians aged 18 and over who gamble are at risk.
