Australia’s heaviest betters undeterred by key gambling reform, research shows

The minority of gamblers who reduced their spending as a result of the ban were typically casual betters who quit altogether due to the inconvenience, according to an e61 Institute report. Photograph: Nadir Kinani/The Guardian

One of the Albanese government’s flagship gambling reforms, a ban on using credit cards for online wagering, had the least impact on Australia’s heaviest betters, new research shows.

The ban saw most gamblers swap their form of payment to transaction accounts and left open a range of loopholes dedicated wagerers could exploit, according to a report by the e61 Institute.