Mr. Colm Finlay:

The Senator asked what type of data we can use to anticipate problem gambling. One of the data points that indicates a problem is that the stakes are accelerated after each losing bet. In other words, a gambler who backs a loser then increases his or her stake on the next bet to recapture the losses experienced on prior bets. If that pattern is continued over five or six bets, that can clearly indicate a person who has a gambling problem.

From a retail perspective, there is a proposal in the Bill to form a new registrar of self-excluded punters or gamblers. Through smart technologies such as facial recognition cameras in retail environments, we can pick up the presence of people with gambling problems in betting shops and take immediate remedial action by getting that information across to staff in betting shops. At an electronic point of sale, the opportunity to bet can be resisted at that time.