The NSER for gaming and gambling – what does it mean for your marketing?

13th December 2019! Anyone connected to the Australian gaming and gambling industry would know the significance of Friday 13th December 2019. I’m not just talking about the stigma which surrounds any Friday 13th, but the coming into effect of the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER), changing the way opt-outs in the industry are managed forever. Fast forward to June 2021, another significant milestone where it was announced that Engine Australia (Engine) had been appointed to deliver the project with confirmation that the anticipated Register would launch before mid-2022.

For the customer, the Register promises options aplenty and puts the control firmly in each individuals’ hands. Customers will be able to choose the length of self-exclusion starting at three months and extend to permanent opt-out. Self-Registering will then be applied across all interactive wagering service providers rather than the current need to individually opt out directly with each and every provider.

What challenges does the NSER create for the gaming provider?

For the gaming provider, the Register will create several challenges for each business to consider and prepare for:

  • Existing customers will need to be checked/screened against the register.
  • No advertising or promotional messaging can be sent to a registered individual.
  • Upon registration for self-exclusion, all funds held in a consumer’s active accounts must be returned to that consumer (once all wagers/bets are settled) and the account must then be closed.
  • New Customers will need to be vetted against the register before accounts are created.

An additional complexity is that whilst the onus is on the customer to self-register on NSER, providers cannot transport the existing self-exclusion lists they hold and will need to maintain separate registers in order to comply with their obligations under state/territory laws and the conditions of their licences.

What does this mean for industry providers?

In a word… Change!


With the expected launch imminent, changes need to be implemented across the industry in order to remain compliant. Does your system architecture allow for the necessary NSER integrations? Do you have customer data stored in a way that can handle the additional complexities? How many customer interaction campaigns need to be updated with the change and can the required changes be completed in time?

At the very least, providers are now being challenged to think more about their customer interactions which in turn, will inevitably lead to more questions! You may well find that a lot of these answers exist within your current technology capabilities in which case it’s just a case of reconfiguring to remain compliant.

Where can I get assistance to remain compliant?

Industry leading marketing automation solutions like the Acoustic Platform have built in capabilities that will enable you to meet these new requirements.

With over 200 pre-built, Click-to-Connect integrations with MarTech partners as well as open connectors for custom integrations, Acoustic can enable the accurate data flow between all internal and external data sources in the timely fashion required.

Solutions such as this will enable you to maintain the regulatory compliance in not promoting to NSER individuals. Built into the platform, Opt-Out capability automates the regulated exclusions for each interaction sent via Acoustic Campaign…but why stop there? With each challenge comes opportunity! Why not use the capability within Acoustic Campaign further by implementing automated, multi-channel journeys across your contactable audience. Coupled with Purple Square’s experience in the gaming industry as well as designing regulation compliant systems that actually grow ROI… the answer to all your NSER challenges could very well be with Acoustic and Purple Square!

If you’d like to discuss these upcoming challenges or find out more about our partner Acoustic, get in touch!

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