Australian bettors wager the most money on … current events?

Australia’s online gamblers will soon be able to prohibit their access to locally licensed betting sites on a national basis as the government implements new consumer protections.

This weekend, Australia’s federal government released the baseline study on its new National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering. The Framework, which was ratified by all Aussie state governments one year ago, featured 10 minimum standards for Aussie online betting operators that are now being implemented.

One of the study’s chief recommendations was for the federal government to “prioritize the development and implementation of the national self-exclusion register.” On Wednesday, Communications Minister Paul Fletcher complied, tabling draft laws to parliament’s lower house that will establish the voluntary online National Self-Exclusion Register.

Once implemented, the register would enable gamblers to ban themselves from all Aussie-licensed betting sites and apps across state boundaries “in one go.” Bettors would have the option of banning themselves for a period of three months or on a permanent basis.