Last Updated on 22 February 2021
Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) chief executive Brent Jackson said that betting enthusiasts should be allowed to gamble using credit cards. The online gambling lobby that Mr Jackson fronts has been adamant that there’s no evidence that credit card betting leads to harm.
The RWA chief executive’s remarks come at a time when Australian MPs, such as Queensland MP Andrew Wallace, are calling for “social responsibility” that would put an end to online betting with the use of credit cards.
MP Wallace: Banks Should Ban Credit Cards at Online Sportsbooks
The Queensland MP said that banning credit card betting was a “no-brainer” considering that people pay 22 per cent in interest on their credit card balances. That, combined with the risks of betting, is a very dangerous mixaccording to the LNP Member for Fisher.
MP Andrew Wallace has long tried to force Australia’s banking institutions to put in place a voluntary code of conduct that should stop punters from betting with credit cards, allowing them to only use their own funds to gamble.
Mr Wallace added that punters cannot use credit cards when they bet on horses or dogs and they also can’t use credit cards at brick-and-mortar casinos or when playing the pokies. Therefore, he argues that it doesn’t make sense for credit card betting to be allowed at online sports betting and gambling sites.
However, despite Mr Wallace’s pressure on banks, the big four of Aussie banking institutions has decided against acting on his requests. Neither one of Westpac, ANZ, NAB and Commonwealth Bank have seen fit to ban punters from using their credit cards when they place online wagers.
Online Betting Providers Have Intervention Tools
Gambling lobbyist Brent Jackson thinks otherwise. The RWA chief executive spoke on behalf of Australian betting brands like Sportsbet, Ladbrokes, and Neds when he said that there was no reason why Australians should be stopped from using credit cards to gamble.
He defended his reasoning by saying that online betting is safer when compared to offline wagering as online gambling providers track players’ behaviour much better than their brick-and-mortar counterparts.
Mr Jackson emphasized that online betting operators keep an eye for “unusual behaviour and strange behavioural patterns” which could indicate that the punter’s betting activity is “risky”.
In addition, the gambling lobbyist said that online betting companies can ban players completely, but before they do something that extreme, they also have other tools for interventions at their disposal.
No Evidence of Risks
According to Mr Jackson, players should decide for themselves whether they will use credit cards to bet online or some other payment method. To him, punters are customers, and as such, they have the right to choose and manage their betting preferences.
Mr Jackson concluded his statement by saying that in his experience, as well as that of the companies he represents, there was no evidence betting with credit cards was a problem at all.
