Allegations of Conflict of Interest Hit Australia’s Main Betting Regulator
Australia’s main online betting regulator, the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission (NTRWC), is facing growing scrutiny following allegations of conflicts of interest, weak oversight, and overly close relationships with the betting companies it supervises. The controversy comes as gambling harm reaches record levels across the country.
Allegations of Conflicts and Weak Oversight
The NTRWC licenses more than 40 online bookmakers, including Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and Bet365, effectively making it Australia’s de facto national online wagering regulator. Many of these operators are based in Darwin, attracted by lower taxes and lighter compliance requirements.
An investigation by ABC’s Four Corners revealed evidence of potential conflicts of interest within the commission. Several commissioners have owned or co-owned racehorses, something originally banned under the body’s founding legislation but later permitted after legal amendments.
Commission chair Alastair Shields, who has led the body since 2018, acknowledged earlier this year that he accepted hospitality from bookmakers and maintained a personal betting account with Sportsbet. He refused to answer questions about his working hours or delays in handling complaints. The commission, staffed mostly by part-time members, has not issued an annual report since 1993, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
Critics Call for Reform as Harm Rates Soar
Lawmakers and gambling harm advocates say the situation has become untenable. Federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie called the commission “useless,” while reform campaigner Lauren Levin questioned how a country with the highest gambling losses per capita in the world could rely on what she described as an under-resourced, part-time regulator.
“We’ve got regulation that was set up to develop the betting and racing industry. That was its sole purpose, not consumer protection,” said Lauren Levin, consumer advocate.
An ABC review of 170 rulings made by the commission since 2017 found that in about two-thirds of cases, no breaches were recorded against operators. No bookmaker has ever had its licence suspended or cancelled.
Industry groups pushed back against the criticism. Kai Cantwell, chief executive of Responsible Wagering Australia, defended the regulator, saying:
“They [the NTRWC] certainly have strong consumer protections and a strong understanding of the online environment in which we operate,” said Kai Cantwell, CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia.
Growing Demands for Transparency and Independence
The composition of the regulator itself has raised eyebrows. Six of the last ten commissioners have owned a racehorse, while former member Amy Corcoran later took a position at a Darwin-based betting company. Such overlaps have intensified concerns about impartiality and blurred lines between regulator and industry.
The Northern Territory government confirmed that it is reviewing potential conflicts of interest within the NTRWC but declined to comment further.
As public pressure mounts, the question remains whether a regulator so closely intertwined with the industry it oversees can effectively protect consumers in a country that continues to record the world’s highest gambling losses.