Review and Reform of Western Australian Gambling Laws

The Government of Western Australia is reviewing its gambling laws to establish a harmonised, best-practice regulatory framework for gambling activities in the state. Its Consultation Paper outlines significant potential reforms that could be incorporated in the new framework, including revising the objects of the legislation, administrative review, compliance and enforcement, introducing a statutory duty to minimise gambling risk and harm and restrictions on advertising.

Under the Gambling Measures Act 2012 (Cth), part of the Australian Gambling Research Centre's role is to undertake research on the harm caused by gambling to people, as well as to their families and the community. 

The potential for gambling to cause substantial harm to individuals, families and society (Wardle et al., 2024) is widely recognised. Nationally, measures have been established to protect and support Australian consumers, such as the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering in Australia (Department of Social Services [DSS], 2022) and government-funded support services such as Gambling Help Online and Financial Counselling for Gambling (DSS, 2024; Gambling Help Online [GHO], n.d.). 

The AGRC’s submission provides context around gambling prevalence and harm in Western Australia (WA) compared to the rest of Australia. It focuses on WA’s gambling environment, including gambling prevalence, risks and harms, help-seeking behaviours and opportunities to strengthen harm-reduction strategies. The analysis draws primarily on data from the National Gambling Prevalence Study (NGPS) Pilot 2024 consumer survey, supported by relevant work undertaken by other parties.