Here’s @jblakkarly’s investigation into online betting during lockdown:
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Credit cards: soon to be banned
… which raises the obvious question: How would one provide the funds for online wagering without using a credit card (that would still be legal)? I’m not suggesting for one moment that there aren’t any ways, just suggesting that no information is provided about what will still be legal. I understand that for something that is “soon” or “now likely” to happen, it may be that no-one knows.
For example, would a debit card that is processed through the credit card network still work?
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I am assuming that is the solution in mind, that you can still play using plastic but it has to be backed by your money not what you borrow.
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I can see what will happen. One will register a credit card with say Paypal, and then use Paypal to make payment for their online betting. This just provides a middle person to hide credit card use.
I hope that the legislation is tight enough not to allow loop holes for a truck to drive through. That being, any payment system where credit card is used as payment is required to block payments using the credit card.
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This just serves to illustrate that even if well-intentioned, this is easier said than done.
I doubt that the online entity accepting payment can tell that a debit card that will be processed through the credit card network is in fact a debit card. In fact, that’s the whole point of debit card. No new payment network or infrastructure is needed but you are spending your own money and not borrowing money from a credit provider.
In that case it may be better to say what is legal, rather than what is not. For example, allowing only BPAY and direct credit and crypto (and, theoretically, cash) may allow a person to spend his or her own money and ensure that credit is not used.
Now that the banking system does transactions in semi-realtime (sort of) one of the main benefits of paying by credit card (for anything) is not as significant. If timeliness is still an obstacle then the Commonwealth government should use its legal authority to lean on the banks - that would benefit all consumers.
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The early digits of the card number will distinguish between debit and credit cards, so a payment system can be set up to accept one type of card and not the other.
Other non-credit card methods of payment include POLI, BPAY and bank transfers.
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Thats interesting. Facebook must think you like gambling. I never see those ads. I usually see ads related to sites I have visited, eg when I was looking for a new mattress, bazillions of mattress ads.
Gambling and investing are not the same, in outcomes terms.
Us two LIVE on our investments. plus a part Old Age Pension.
Gambling is for fools, as in a fool and his money are soon parted.
The Australian penchant for gambling has always puzzled me.
Poker machines are among the most BORING activity there are!
We do on occasion have a flutter on Cup Day, but not more than one day’s income.
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Hey @SueW
That Facebook assumes I fall into a certain “Marketing Catagory” could very well be the issue. Somehow what I watch online and follow on Facebook ticks enough boxes in their algorithm to tell them to target me with gambling ads. I have started reporting these ads as inappropriate on Facebook and I wonder if we all did that, then FaceBoocks same algorithm may stop showing them…?
We also seldom watch free-to-air TV but have been watching the Olympics and Paralympics (these guys are awesome!!) and cannot believe how many gambling ads are on - especially the “LadsLetsGoBrokeByGambling” ads.
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If you use a web browser to access Facebook, their cookies track your activity when using the browser. There are ways to try and minimise their tracking of your online activity - such as extensions that manage cookies, using incognito and setting to delete all cookies when closing a page/the browser etc. This website provides some more information on how to minimise Facebook tracking:
In addition to any other suggestions: Use one browser dedicated to Facebook and do no other surfing from that browser. Use a different browser for random surfing.
The disadvantage of that approach is that if a ‘helpful’ friend shares a link in Facebook then you would need to copy it to the other browser before using it, rather than just clicking on the link.
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I cannot vouch for how well it works, or doesn’t but it lets me know when FB is ‘watching’ and keeps it out, or in, as the case requires.
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