In 2020, Independent Australian MP Andrew Wilkie began a crusade against social casino games. His mission is to have social casino games outlawed across the entire country. Social casinos feature free-to-play games that simulate gambling, most often found on social networking sites

Wilkie argues that a ban on the practice would assist in curbing gambling-related harm in Australia and, to that end, he introduced a bill to parliament on June 10, 2020. The sole purpose of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2020 is to have all social casinos banned.

Should the bill pass, a ban on social gambling would be added to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 that already outlaws iGaming in the country.

What’s the harm?

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 states that parties found guilty of participating in or facilitating online gaming will be fined. The penalty for individuals is up to $220,000, and companies could face a fine as high as $1.1 million.

Wilkie’s act seeks to reclassify social casino gaming as a type of gambling, changing its current status as a form of entertainment. This action would effectively place it in the same boat as iGaming, so anyone caught participating in it would face significant financial penalties.

According to Wilkie, social casinos made it possible for the current explosion of iGaming to happen. This claim holds water as it can be demonstrated that a slew of players continues to transition from social casinos to online betting sites.

By his reasoning, the inherent social risk of gambling is that casinos tend to cater to and encourage the “winner spirit” in their players, and this can bleed into the individual’s life, making them more confident but also less averse to risk.

While Wilkie’s position that social casinos and iGaming are harmful may make sense, the prevailing social culture seems to indicate that gamers largely engage in these practices as a form of stress relief, something which became particularly pertinent with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic where the movements and freedoms of individuals were restricted.

In a 2020 study by the Australian Gambling Research Centre where 2000 individuals were surveyed, nearly 50% of respondents reported that their physical and/or mental health had been negatively affected during COVID-19. Close to 1 in 3 of respondents had signed up for a new online betting account during COVID-19, with almost 1 in 20 gambling online for the first time.

Alarmingly, 79% of respondents could be categorised as being at risk of or already in the throes of gambling-related harm.

A reviving industry  

Wilkie’s attempt to eradicate iGaming and social casinos comes at the same time as calls from other members of parliament to fully reopen brick-and-mortar gambling venues to assist in propping up the country’s economy, which continues to be battered by the effects of COVID-19.

The fate of Wilkie’s Bill still hangs in the balance, in the interim players are increasingly discovering the joys and pitfalls of mobile iGaming entertainment. What is certain is that the disappearance of social casinos would disappoint many players who rely on them as a source of entertainment.

With one of the world’s most active and lucrative gambling industries, Australia is host to a packed roster of gaming events and awards ceremonies throughout the year. These events present ample opportunities for the showcasing of new products, innovations, and services and to network with other industry folks.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority also takes advantage of these events to publicise its proposals and intentions.

Physical events, which have been sparse of late, offer players the chance to engage in face-to-face interactions with the companies and individuals that produce their favourite content and services.

Whether you are looking to exhibit your product or service or simply attend to expand your knowledge of the gambling industry and its upcoming innovations, there are numerous events taking place across the country over the coming year and we have listed the most notable happenings for you to slot into your annual planner.

Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE)

One of Australia’s most important iGaming events is up first. The AGE is Supported by the Australasian Gaming Council and draws 6,000 attendees from the online and offline gaming sectors. The first AGE event ever happened in 1990, coinciding with the beginning of the rise of online gambling in Europe. The event’s 30 -year history has solidified its place as a mainstay among the nation’s enthusiasts, developers, and operators.

The 2021 event is scheduled to take place at the ICC Sydney between 10 and 12 August. There will be over 240 exhibitors from all the various sub-sectors of the Australian iGaming industry, including such notable names as Aristocrat, Ainsworth, IGT, Konami, Scientific Games, Aruze, and Banktech

With the participants’ list growing daily, serious anticipation is growing for the expo’s August launch date.

EGR Australia Summit

Similar to the Australasian Gaming Expo, the EGR Australia Summit is a showcase for the cream of the crop of the country’s gaming industry. This does not mean that this event doesn’t have its own unique characteristics.

The EGR event focuses exclusively on the online gambling sector and provides a space for stakeholders to exchange ideas over the pressing developments changing the face of the Australian gaming market.

While the 2021 edition of the event will be held online, it was previously held as a closed-door event to create an ideal, environment for qualitative discourse between the industry’s leading organisations.

Previous attendees of note to the event include Ladbrokes, GVC, Unibet, Bet365, Betfair, Crown Resorts, PointsBet, Bet Easy, and PlayUp.

The presence of the country’s most prominent iGaming forms offers local authorities the opportunity to present their proposals around legislation to a very specific focus group.

International Gambling Conference (IGC) 2021

The International Gambling Conference takes us towards Kiwi territory and will run from the 30th of June to the 1st of July 2021 at the AUT in Auckland. In the spirit of its previous editions, the IGC in New Zealand will provide a platform for issues such as new technology for online and offline gambling, responsible gaming practices, and regulations among others.

While the event takes place off Australian soil, many of the attendees operate in Australia and New Zealand. This event is a lot less player-focused than the previous ones mentioned so there is less about flashy new title releases and a lot more relating to game mechanics and math models.

SiGMA

Once you have satisfied your hunger for Australian-focused iGaming events, you can widen your field of vision and take in a global perspective of the industry at SiGMA. The Malta-based event is a major happening in the international iGaming industry.

Initially planned for February, the 2021 edition has been moved to April, more specifically from the 13th to the 15th of the month. Following tradition, the event will take place at the Malta Fairs Conventions Center which accommodated over 15,000 delegates from 80 countries for the 2019 edition of the event.

SiGMA 2021 will be an amalgamation of prominent iGaming companies including operators, suppliers, affiliates, fintech start-ups, and any other interested parties seeking to make their name by creating premium gambling entertainment.

The event has a packed itinerary, but some of the major talking points that will be explored include the following.

In Emerging Trends the future of online gaming and its associated services and products will be discussed with a particular focus on the challenges and opportunities presented by the global pandemic.

The Emerging Hubs discussion will offer a deep dive into flourishing iGaming hubs in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Emerging Tech delivers on the collaboration between SiGMA and AIBC to present an exhaustive breakdown of all tech-related iGaming topics. Expect the discussion points to focus on AI, big data, Blockchain, the Internet of Things, and Quantum computing.

Far from daunting SiGMA’S spirit, the organisation embraced the challenges presented by the global pandemic with SiGMA Asia taking place in Manila in May. SiGMA Americas will follow in September 2021 and a SiGMA Africa event is in the pipeline with the organisation eyeing a March 2022 launch date. The African edition may take place in Cape Town as that is where the headquarters are, but all we can do at this stage is speculate.

Android device-using Australian punters now have an added layer of convenience and security to celebrate. From March 1st, they will be able to access gambling apps directly from the Google Play Store. Currently, gambling apps can only be found in the Brazilian, French, Irish, and United Kingdom Google Play Stores.

Before this development, Android users in Australia had to download apps directly from licensed casino websites. This practice has inherent risks, many of which stem from having to disable security features to install non-Play Store apps.

The new additions

The 15 new markets that can now access gambling apps via the Play Store include Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, Japan, Finland, Germany, Colombia, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, Spain, Romania, and the United States.

The rules

A statement on Google’s support page read, “We allow real-money gambling apps, ads related to real-money gambling, and daily fantasy sports apps that meet certain requirements.”

While online casino games are allowed under the new policy. They will not be made available in Australia, with punters in the country being limited to lotteries, sports betting, and daily fantasy sports apps.

With Android users making up close to 50% of the mobile device market in Australia, millions of new users will now be able to make use of gambling apps and interact with targeted adverts.

The Requirements

Any developers seeking to add their apps to the Play Store will have to complete an application process and meet several requirements.

Online casinos have to be compliant with set industry standards and legal requirements for their country. Developers also need to have a valid gambling license and apps will be required to bear an ‘Adult Only’ rating (or IARC equivalent) to prevent underage players from getting their hands on them. The availability of apps should also be limited to their specified territories.

No paid apps will be permitted, so all will have to be available for free download and Google will exclude their in-app billing system from gambling apps.

Developers may not offer any type of gambling app that is not permitted within their gambling licenses boundaries.

Play it safe

Contrasted against the delight of eager punters, Tony Mohr, the Executive Director at the Alliance for Gambling Reform, had a sobering message to share, stating that such apps can “greatly increase the risk of people experiencing gambling harm.”

The ACMA (Australian Media and Communications Authority) has previously shut down dozens of illegal online gambling providers. The arrival of gambling app availability via the Play Store will make its job much more challenging as it will now need to monitor the influx of Play Store gambling apps to ensure their compliance.

Picking apart the mobile app market

On September 8th, 2020, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission launched a probe into the country’s mobile app market. The investigation included both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

A statement released at the time says, “The ACCC will be looking at the experiences of Australian consumers, developers, suppliers, and others in a new report scrutinising mobile app stores. They’ll examine issues such as the use and sharing of data by apps, the extent of competition between Google and Apple’s app stores, and whether more pricing transparency is needed in Australia’s mobile apps market.”

The final report from the probe is due in March of 2021.

In 2020, the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling initiated a study into the connection between young people and gambling. The now publicised results reveal some profound truths, the more notable of which are detailed below.

The study encompassed gambling and simulated gambling among those aged 12 to 17. The researchers involved sought to use the data to better understand and combat gambling-related issues.

The methodology

The research was conducted in two stages with NSW youths aged 12 to 17. Initially, 16 focus groups with 104 participants each were conducted in eight locations across the state. The groups targeted Vietnamese and Chinese participants in particular, as well as two with Indigenous participants.

An online survey was then performed with 2,200 young respondents which ran from March 28 to May 11, 2020.

Crunching the numbers

Analysing the collected data allows one to establish the most salient truths around underage gambling in NSW.

The study established that young people in NSW tend to first engage with monetary and simulated gambling at around the ages of 11 to 12 years and 2020 saw young people choose simulated gambling over more traditional methods.

All the individual types of simulated gambling proved more popular among the youth than most other forms of gambling, except for private betting. The participants who had participated in simulated gambling were shown to be most likely to transition to more traditional forms in future.

Problematic gambling levels are higher than those of problem/at-risk gambling with parents being the most common introduction young people had to the pastime. Gambling with parents, receiving parental approval for gambling, or growing up with an adult who’s a problem gambler were all factors that influenced the respondents’ behaviour.

A year in review

29.8% of respondents stated they had gambled in the previous year and 21% had engaged in commercial gambling (excluding private betting). 2.2% of this group were determined to be at-risk with another 1.5% being labelled as problem gamblers.

53.7% of gambling activity took place in the presence of a parent or guardian, followed by friends 17 or younger at 26.8%, relatives 18 or older came in at 20.7%, relatives under 18 at 20.1%, and grandparents at 19.5%. A mere 9.1% of respondents stated that they gambled alone.

Private betting emerged as the most popular form of gambling at 17.1%. Scratchies/lotteries represented 11%, while bingo and keno came in at 6% and 5.1%, respectively.

17% of respondents stated they had gambled in the last month, with 16.5% stating they had gambled in the last week. 24.9% revealed they had placed bets online, and that the source of their gambling funds largely came from home environments with 60.4% revealing that they used their pocket money to gamble.

The gaming-gambling problem

The youth in NSW can actively avoid real-money gambling avenues but evidence shows that addictive behaviour can form around types of gaming too. 40.1% of participants said that they had played some form of a game with gambling components over the previous year.

To be considered a “game with gambling components” encompasses a few standards that must be met.

These are games with gambling components on social networking sites, gambling-themed apps from an app store, video games with gambling “mini-games”, and free games from gambling apps or websites that don’t require real-money bets.

The study revealed that 31.7% of respondents had played video games with a “mini” gambling component in the previous year. The data showed this that this element of gameplay had been increasingly featured in recent years. In-game gambling mostly appears to enable players to gain additional lives, free items, and in-game currency rewards.

The loot box trap

Loot boxes are an almost ubiquitous feature in gaming. 72.2% of participants revealed that they had opened or purchased loot boxes over the previous year.

According to a definition on the UK House of Commons library website, loot boxes are “features in video games which may be accessed through gameplay, or purchased with in-game items, virtual currencies, or directly with real-world money. They often appear as chests, crates, or card packs.”

One-third of surveyed Australian youth revealed that they had spent money on loot boxes, at an average rate of approximately $10 per month. The respondents largely confirmed that their reasons for obtaining loot boxes were that they serve as in-game currency and provide the players with specific advantages or progress boosts.  Loot boxes are also highly coveted because they often contain special items or skins which are alternate costumes or cosmetic enhancements for player characters.

The transactional nature of loot boxes seems fairly simple at first. One simply pays money and gets something beneficial in return. However, the randomised nature of a lot of loot box features can act as a “gateway drug,” as the purchase is essentially a game of chance that can steer players towards traditional gambling.

This was demonstrated when 14.5% of participants revealed that they used in-game items for gambling. A smaller percentage of 7.9% said they betted privately with their friends while 6.2% has gone as far as wagering on Esports.

The report in full

If this condensed version has whet your appetite for more, the full 279-page report is freely available for all who would like to see. It can be accessed via this link.​