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Sections 33 and 49 of the Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2024 were Proclaimed with effect from 6 February 2025.

The Gambling Regulations Amendment Regulations 2025 and the Gaming Regulations Amendment Regulations (No 2) 2025 came into effect on 6 February 2025.  

These regulations operationalise amendments made by the Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (‘GLA Act’).  Information on the effect of these amendments is provided below.

The Governor executed the following instruments:

Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2024 Commencement Proclamation 2025 which:

• effects the commencement of section 33 of the GLA Act which deletes Part VB of the Casino Control Act 1984 which deals with infringement notices for the purpose of that Act and
• effects the commencement of section 49 of the GLA Act which creates a centralised infringement notice framework in the Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987 for offences under that Act, the Casino Control Act 1984 and the Betting Control Act 1954, and the respective regulations.

 Gambling Regulations Amendment Regulations 2025 which amend the:

• Gaming and Wagering Commission Regulations 1988
• Betting Control Regulations 1978
• Casino Control Regulations 1999
• Casino (Burswood Island)(Licensing of Employees) Regulations 1985 and
• Racing and Wagering Western Australia Regulations 2003
  

To:

• increase penalties for regulatory offences
• prescribe modified penalties for offences under each relevant Act for which an infringement notice may be issued, this now includes offences under the Betting Control Act/Regulations and the Casino (Burswood Island) (Licensing of Employees) Regulations
• prescribe new/updated forms for issuing and withdrawing infringement notices under each relevant Act
• prescribe matters, of management and operation of the casino, about which the casino licensee must have approved manuals
• make minor administrative amendments to;

• remove reference to a former commencement date that is no longer in the primary legislation and
• prescribe the period of time for the lodgement of documents under s.30A of the Casino Control Act 1984.

Gambling Regulations Amendment Regulations (No. 2) 2025 which amend the:

• Gaming and Wagering Commission Regulations 1988
• Betting Control Regulations 1978

To:

• prescribed in statute the obligations on gambling operators in accordance with the National Policy Statement of agreed commitments to provide a National Consumer Protection Framework (the NCPF) for interactive wagering in Australia, as agreed between the Commonwealth of Australia and state and territory governments.
• The scope of the NCPF and its consumer protection measures is intended to cover all forms of online wagering that is conducted using any telecommunication service, which includes any ‘regulated interactive gambling service’ that is also an ‘excluded wagering service’ as defined under the Interactive Gambling Amendment Act 2017 (Cth).

In this State, the obligations set out by the NCPF and now in statute apply to betting related activity (when conducted via a telecommunication service including phone, internet, or any other online communications system) of:

• licensed bookmakers
• Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) trading as the WATab, TABtouch.

Effect of NCPF policy regulations

The requirements of the NCPF are not new. In accordance with the agreed NCPF implementation timeframes, the measures took effect over time (depending on the particular requirement) with the final implementation requirements being mandatory since 30 March 2023.  Prior to these regulation amendments being introduced into WA law, the requirements have been effected in this State by the imposition of licence conditions for bookmakers, and a Direction of the Gaming and Wagering Commission to RWWA.

The publication of these amending instruments on the WA Legislation website on 5 February 2025 has enlivened the commencement provision in the regulations, which states that the amended regulations come into operation on the day after they are published on the WA legislation website. 

View the updated regulations on the WA Legislation website by selecting Subsidiary Legislation, then in force and searching alphabetically for the relevant regulations:

• Gaming and Wagering Commission Regulations 1988
• Betting Control Regulations 1978
• Casino Control Regulations 1999
• Casino (Burswood Island)(Licensing of Employees) Regulations 1985
• Racing and Wagering Western Australia Regulations 2003.