BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, was launched on 21 August 2023 under Part 7B of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. A single registration excludes a person from every online and phone wagering provider licensed in Australia for a minimum of 3 months and up to a lifetime. By 30 June 2026 the ACMA counted 65,430 registrations since launch, 40,160 of them still active.
- Launched 21 August 2023 as the tenth and final measure of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering.
- Exclusion periods: a whole number of months (minimum 3), a whole number of years, or life (Interactive Gambling Act 2001, s 61JA).
- Removal cannot be requested in the first 3 months and needs a statutory declaration that counselling or advice was obtained (s 61JK).
- BetStop does not apply to illegally provided online casino games; it covers licensed Australian wagering providers only.
On this page
What BetStop is and who runs it
BetStop is a free Australian Government register that lets a person exclude themselves, in one step, from every online and phone wagering provider licensed in Australia. It sits in Part 7B of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and the detailed procedures are set by the Interactive Gambling (National Self-exclusion Register) Register Rules. The register is operated by Dataworks Group Limited on behalf of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which monitors compliance, according to the BetStop service page.
The government launched BetStop on 21 August 2023 and described it as the tenth and final measure of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering, the set of minimum protections agreed by the Commonwealth, states and territories. That framework is covered separately in our explainer on the national framework.
Registration is done by the person themselves. The BetStop FAQ states that nobody else can register on someone's behalf, that the process needs a mobile number, an email address and one form of ID (an Australian driver's licence, Australian passport or Medicare card), and that people without those documents can call 1800 238 786. The Act also requires the applicant to state that they are ordinarily resident in Australia. From 1 January 2027 the 2026 reform Act defines that phrase: a person counts as ordinarily resident only if they are a permanent resident, or have lived in Australia for 200 or more days in at least 3 of the past 5 calendar years.
How long an exclusion lasts
Section 61JA of the Act sets out the choices. An applicant states that they want to be registered for a specified number of months, a specified number of years, or for life. The number of months must be a whole number and must not be less than 3; the number of years must be a whole number. In practice that means the shortest exclusion is 3 months and the longest is a lifetime.
| Option | Rule in the Act | Can it be shortened? |
|---|---|---|
| Months | Whole number, not less than 3 | No. Early exit only through a removal application after 3 months |
| Years | Whole number | No. Same removal process |
| Life | Registered for life | No. Same removal process |
| Extension | Possible at any time through the BetStop account | Not applicable |
BetStop contacts the registered person, and any nominated support people, before the period ends and asks whether they want to extend. When the period runs out, the person is removed overnight at the end of the last day, and can register again at any time. The register can keep the person's details after the exclusion ends, if they agree, so that a later re-registration does not start from scratch; the Act allows earlier details to prefill a new application where the person ceased to be registered within the preceding 7 years.
Leaving early: the removal process
Section 61JK of the Act controls early removal, and it is deliberately slow. A registered person cannot apply for removal during the first 3 months after the registration came into force. Under the current text there is an exception for someone who was previously registered before that time; the 2026 reform Act removes that exception from 1 January 2027.
An application must be in writing and must be accompanied by a statutory declaration stating that, during the 3 months before the application, the person obtained counselling or advice about the decision from a qualified counsellor, a qualified psychologist, a general practitioner or a listed support service. If a nominated support person exists, the register operator tells them that an application has been made.
Under the current law, if the application is not withdrawn by the end of the seventh day after it was made, the entry is removed at the start of the eighth day. The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026 changes the mechanics from 1 January 2027: the person must actively confirm the application in writing, and the confirmation can only be made after 7 days have passed since the application.
What licensed providers must do
Once someone is registered, licensed online and phone wagering providers should not let them bet, should not open an account for them and should not send them marketing. The Act turns these into offences and civil penalty provisions. The penalties are expressed in penalty units, the Commonwealth's standard unit for fines.
| Obligation | Section | Current penalty | From 1 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not provide a licensed wagering service to a registered person | 61KA | Offence 500 units; civil 750 units | Reframed as not allowing the person to place or accept a bet; civil 750 units |
| Not open an account for a registered person | 61MA | Offence 120 units; civil 180 units | Offence 500 units; civil 750 units |
| Close existing accounts and pay out credit | 61MB | As soon as practicable; offence 120 units | Within 7 days; offence 500 units |
| No electronic messages, calls or direct marketing | 61LA to 61LD | Offence 120 units; civil 180 units | Offence 500 units; civil 750 units |
On money left in an account, the current section 61MB requires the provider to close the account and pay the person an amount equal to any credit balance, less debts that can lawfully be deducted. From 1 January 2027 the account must be closed within 7 days, and the credit balance paid includes amounts arising from the resolution of outstanding or pending bets. Closed accounts are never reopened; a person who later leaves the register has to open a new account, and from 2027 providers must link the new account to the old ones so that past information can be used for harm minimisation.
The ACMA has used these powers. In September 2026 it reported that Dabble paid $1,069,200 in penalties and entered a two-year court-enforceable undertaking after the ACMA found 157 accounts left open after their holders registered with BetStop, and 839 marketing messages sent to 165 self-excluded people, according to the ACMA announcement.
How many people have registered
The ACMA publishes quarterly statistics. Its report for the April to June 2026 quarter records 65,430 registrations since launch, with 40,160 exclusions still active at 30 June 2026 and 5,599 new registrations in that quarter. New South Wales had the most registrations, followed by Victoria and Queensland, according to the ACMA statistics report. The gap between total and active numbers reflects people whose chosen period ended or who were removed early.
What BetStop does not cover
The scope of BetStop is narrow by design. It applies to interactive wagering services licensed under Australian state or territory law. The BetStop service page states plainly that the register does not apply to illegally provided online casino games or other illegally provided gambling services, and directs complaints about those to the ACMA.
- Offshore online casinos and pokies sites. Online casino games and online pokies cannot lawfully be offered to people in Australia under section 15 of the Interactive Gambling Act. The operators that offer them anyway are not licensed in Australia, do not check the register and are outside BetStop entirely. The Act targets the operator; it does not make it an offence for an individual to play, but it also gives the player no regulator to turn to. See the overview of Australian gambling law.
- State venue self-exclusion. BetStop is a separate system from state or territory self-exclusion programs for pubs, clubs and casinos. The BetStop FAQ notes that being on a state register does not carry across; a person must register with BetStop separately.
- Choosing providers. A registration covers all licensed online and phone wagering providers at once. It is not possible to exclude from some and not others.
This gap matters for anyone using self-exclusion as a safety net. A person who registers with BetStop and then signs up with an offshore casino will find that the casino does not consult the register, and if a dispute arises later there is no Australian body that can order the casino to pay out. Anyone relying on self-exclusion should treat BetStop as one tool among several; other harm-minimisation options are collected on the responsible gambling page.
Support people and other help
An application may nominate up to 5 support persons, each of whom must have consented. They are told when the person registers, when an early removal application is made and when the exclusion is about to expire. Nomination is optional and can be changed at any time from the BetStop account.
Free and confidential help is available around the clock from Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858. Registration with BetStop is done online at betstop.gov.au and, according to the service, takes about five minutes.
Questions readers ask
What is the shortest BetStop exclusion?
Three months. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 requires the number of months chosen to be a whole number not less than 3; longer periods can be set in years or for life.
Can I cancel a BetStop exclusion early?
Not in the first 3 months. After that, a written application with a statutory declaration confirming counselling or advice from a counsellor, psychologist, GP or listed support service is required, and removal takes effect only after a 7-day period.
Does BetStop block offshore online casinos?
No. BetStop states that it does not apply to illegally provided online casino games. It covers only online and phone wagering providers licensed in Australia.
What happens to money in my betting account when I register?
Licensed providers must close the account and pay out any credit balance, less lawful debts. From 1 January 2027 the account must be closed within 7 days.
Can someone else register me?
No. BetStop says registration must be made by the person themselves, although up to 5 support people can be nominated with their consent.
Sources
Every figure and date in this article comes from the documents below; we re-check them when a source changes.
- BetStop — home page
- BetStop — About this service
- BetStop — FAQs
- BetStop — What to expect
- Interactive Gambling Act 2001, Compilation No. 24 (Federal Register of Legislation)
- Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026, Schedule 3
- ACMA — BetStop statistics Q4 2025–26
- ACMA — Dabble pays $1m penalty for gambling self-exclusion breaches
- Minister for Social Services — Albanese Government officially launches BetStop
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