Australia’s BetStop self-exclusion register hits 40,000 users

Data from the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) reveals that 40,121 people have decided to self-exclude since BetStop went live.

The national self-exclusion register reported on Friday that 27,763 people had active self-exclusions in place as of 31 March. The number of people who have cancelled or completed their exclusion now stands at 12,358.

The Australian government launched BetStop in August 2023. Gamblers can self-exclude for a minimum of three months or for the rest of their lives. Once on the register, operators can no longer allow that person to open an account or send marketing materials.

BetStop covers all licensed interactive wagering service providers, as well as online or telephone-based operators.

BetStop by region

New South Wales has the highest number of self-exclusion adopters at 12,531.

Victoria self-exclusion electives have grown to 10,800 since the programme started, putting it in second place, while Queensland is third with 8,125 adopters.

However, the number of new participants is slowing.

In the last quarter, New South Wales saw 1,376 new signees, down from 1,710 in the previous year’s compounding quarters. Sign-up numbers across all three reported quarters for BetStop’s 24/25 year are down compared to the previous year.

Every reported quarter in 2024-25 has seen a slowdown in the number of new signings. The one exception is Australia’s Northern Territory, which saw 38 rise to 44 in the third quarter.

Total registrants fell from 7,496 in the first quarter of 2023-24 to 4,521 in BetStop’s last-reported first quarter.

BetStop age demographics and exclusion timeframes

BetStop has reported that younger gamblers are the most likely to participate in the self-exclusion scheme. It noted that 46% of its 40,000 self-excluders are under 30 years of age, while those aged between 31 and 40 account for 32% of users.

The rate of uptake decreases significantly as age groups rise.

As a result, gamblers over 60 only account for 3% of listed registrants. The 41 to 50 age group makes up 13%.

Breaking down the time span of exclusion that people have chosen, BetStop noted that lifetime bans were selected by 39% of users.

Three months was the preference of 17%, while 39% opted for time spans ranging from three months to two years.

As part of Australian compliance measures, licensed operators must promote BetStop on their websites, apps and marketing materials.