Companies offering online gambling services in Australia must now complete the applicable customer identification procedures (ACIP) before allowing players to gamble.

According to the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), the changes were initially introduced in September 2023 with the aim of strengthening customer identification procedures for online gambling operators. The goal was to ensure that criminal elements would not be able to exploit these services.

Operators had one year to prepare for the stricter rules. During this period, customer identification could be delayed in some circumstances but these interim measures have now officially expired.

As a result, from the 29th of September 2024 onwards, ACIP must be completed by all online gambling service providers before creating an online gambling account or commencing to provide any designated service.

Companies must now not allow players to gamble until they are reasonably satisfied that the customer is who they claim to be. This means operators have to integrate robust identity verification systems and processes to verify submitted documents quickly and accurately, and thereby avoid falling foul of the stricter laws set by the Australian government.