IAG MAR 2023

IAG MAR 2023年3月 亞博匯 64 IN FOCUS IAG: When it comes to illegal or unregulated gambling operators, where are you seeing the most issues arise and what harm is involved? For example, online casinos, online sports betting, eSports betting, online lotteries. What do you expect to become the next ‘big’ threat as we move into 2023 and beyond? CC: Our experience is online casino services pose the highest risk to Australian consumers. Consumers consistently raise issues about poor treatment using these types of services, including unfair play, non- payment of winnings, inability to contact the operator and little or no regulatory oversight. Illegal services use strategies aimed at convincing Australians that they are reputable and well-regulated, using tactics like publishing testimonials by “Australian customers” which refer to big wins, fast withdrawals and excellent customer service to draw customers in. Notably, we have seen an increase in the delivery of these services via apps and social media platforms used to market them. Our digital advertising campaigns are aimed at raising the awareness of consumers to the risks of using these sites. While it is a dynamic market and we are seeing new types of services being offered to Australians, such as those being delivered on a virtual platform using Blockchain technology, we anticipate online casino services (including online poker) will continue to cause the greatest harm to Australian consumers – although the way these services are being promoted