Children are gambling online: Parliament can address this through the Digital Duty of Care
Media release 8.30am AEDT, Tuesday 10 November 2026: The Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) today called on the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee to recommend extending age assurance requirements to online wagering service providers through the Digital Duty of Care.
AGR CEO Sunita Bose and lived experience advocate Mark Kempster are appearing before the Committee’s inquiry into the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026.
While under-age gambling is already illegal, and banned under the terms of service of the major wagering providers, according to the Australia Institute, about 30 per cent of 12 to 17-year-olds in Australia gamble in some form. 12 to 17‑year‑olds spend an estimated $18 million a year on gambling.
The Digital Duty of Care captures sports betting and wagering websites, as well as online games that simulate gambling, and has obligations for all services to protect children from harm.
Currently, sports betting apps are required to verify identity at account creation, but they do not have requirements like social media services to use age assurance technology to enforce access restrictions for minors. Simulated gambling games currently have age assurance requirements under industry codes that the Digital Duty of Care will repeal.
AGR CEO Sunita Bose said: “Kids can use betting apps because there is only one check at sign‑up, designed to prevent money laundering, not under‑age access. For young people, the harm goes well beyond the money they lose, affecting their mental health, family relationships and schooling. Young Australians deserve better protection from gambling harm, and the Digital Duty of Care can deliver it.”
“The Digital Duty of Care Bill already uses age assurance to protect children from pornography, which is legal for adults and prohibited for children – wagering is exactly the same. Extending that protection is a common-sense amendment that simply upholds existing laws and restrictions to protect kids.”
AGR lived experience advocate Mark Kempster said: “I started gambling when I was 15, and the toll it took on me almost led me to a point where I contemplated ending my life. I know this is also happening to so many other young Australians across the country right now. We need to safeguard young people from this adult product, and from an industry that has proven time and time again it doesn’t take its duty of care seriously.”
AGR is asking the Committee to support two key amendments. The first would extend the Bill’s age assurance and access control requirements (proposed s 27D) to online services for placing bets, where the law or the service’s terms prohibit children from betting. The second would specify material or conduct that incites a child into prohibited betting as harmful to children (new s 25E(1)(g)).
Greens spokesperson for Communications, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, said: “The Government has one job: to protect Australian children and families from gambling harm. These amendments are an important first step towards delivering on that responsibility. It’s high time the health and safety of Australian children and young people were put ahead of the profits of the gambling industry.”
AGR considers the amendments as separate to the recently passed Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Act 2026, which primarily addresses advertising and the direction of traffic to wagering providers. The Digital Duty of Care has the potential to protect children once they have arrived at a wagering service.
AGR’s recommendations align with Recommendation 18 of the Murphy Report, You win some, you lose more, which calls for a duty of care on online wagering service providers.
Sunita Bose and Mark Kempster are available for interview. For media enquiries, please contact [email protected] or phone 07 2115 0820. See link for a gambling language guide for journalists.
More information: AGR’s appearance is scheduled for the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee at 8.30am AEDT, Tuesday 10 November 2026 via videoconference.
AGR’s submission to the inquiry, dated 30 October 2026, is available here.
AGR’s opening statement to the Committee is also enclosed.
Note to editors re the evidence: The estimates that about 30 per cent of 12 to 17-year-olds gamble in some form, and that 12 to 17-year-olds spend an estimated $18.4 million a year on gambling, are drawn from The Australia Institute, Teenage gambling in Australia (2025).
Under the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering and the AML/CTF Rules, identity is verified when an account is opened, and age is checked only as a by-product of that identity check. Neither the Framework nor the AML/CTF prescribes an age-specific standard, method or technology.
About the Alliance for Gambling Reform: The Alliance for Gambling Reform is a national advocacy organisation working to reduce gambling harm in Australia. AGR partners with other organisations and with local councils to reduce the alarming level of gambling harm in Australia, working to change the laws and rules governing the gambling industry. AGR does not seek to ban gambling. Rather, it seeks to influence government to minimise the harmful behaviours of the gambling industry and to give voice to those who are impacted by gambling harm.
If this release raises concerns for you, support is available. Lifeline: 13 11 14. Gambling Help: 1800 858 858.
About us:
The Alliance for Gambling Reform is a national advocacy organisation working to reduce gambling harm in Australia. We partner with other organisations and with local councils to reduce the alarming level of gambling harm in Australia, we work to change the laws and rules governing the gambling industry. We do not seek to ban gambling. Rather we seek to influence government to minimise the harmful behaviours of the gambling industry and to give voice to those who are impacted by gambling harm.
Contact details:
[email protected] | 07 2115 0820