National Self-exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Amendment Bill 2026; Second Reading

Summary

This legislation adjusts how the National Self-exclusion Register is funded by introducing a cost recovery levy — essentially a fee that gambling operators pay to cover the running costs of the register, which helps problem gamblers exclude themselves from betting venues. The amendment modifies the existing National Self-exclusion Register legislation to establish and manage this new charging system. It matters because it shifts the financial burden of maintaining this harm-prevention tool from taxpayers to the gambling industry itself, ensuring the register remains properly funded while gambling operators share responsibility for supporting people trying to control their gambling habits.

What happens at this stage

The main debate on whether the chamber supports the broad purpose of the bill. Members speak to its overall merits and concerns rather than the fine print. The government outlines its policy intentions; the opposition and crossbench put their case. This is the stage that determines whether the bill proceeds at all.

Next: Consideration in Detail (House) or Committee of the Whole (Senate), where the bill is examined clause by clause