Credit cards to be banned from online gambling in Australia

On September 13, the Australian Government will introduce amendments to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 to federal Parliament to ban the use of credit cards for online gambling.

Authorities intend to use bank identification numbers to identify and block credit card payments, making it impossible to deposit funds into gaming accounts using credit card numbers.

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

The new rules will take effect within six months after the amendments become law.

Responsible Wagering Australia previously said approximately 20% of betting account deposits are made via credit cards.

It should also 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.