Australian House of Representatives passes bill banning use of credit cards for online gambling

The House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament of Australia recently passed a bill that would ban the use of credit cards for online gambling. Operators who fail to enforce the ban will face fines of up to 234,750 Australian dollars ($164,770)

As previously reported, introducing the ban amendments to the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 were introduced by the Australian government on September 13, 2023.

The authorities intend to use bank identification numbers to identify and block credit card payments, which will make it impossible to deposit funds into gambling accounts using credit card numbers.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the law. Operators who fail to comply with the ban could be fined up to A$234,750 by the regulator.

The document has been sent to the Australian Senate for consideration. The new rules will come into force within six months after the amendments become law. 

It should be noted that Australia already has a ban on the use of credit cards in land-based gambling establishments, which was introduced at the beginning of the century.