Data quality statement: 2025 National Self-Exclusion Register research

Purpose

The purpose of this data quality statement is to summarise all known data quality issues relating to the National Self-Exclusion Register research project.

Data quality statements:

  • assist in the interpretation of data
  • provide a method for recording strengths and limitations of data consistently across time
  • help data stewards to communicate the quality of data assets to users
  • determine applicability of data when sharing, promoting reuse
  • allow for comparability of quality across data assets.
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Data quality statement

Data asset name National Self-Exclusion Register research datasets
Date November 2025
Purpose

BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register™ (the register) is an important consumer safeguard that enables individuals, particularly those who may be—or at risk of—experiencing gambling harm, to self-exclude from all Australian licensed interactive betting providers (online and phone-based) in a single process. The register applies to approximately 180 licensed betting providers. It is operated by Dataworks Group (the register operator) on behalf of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) and was launched on 21 August 2023 as part of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering.

In 2025 the ACMA commissioned Orima Research Pty Ltd to conduct research to understand users’ experiences and gather feedback to ensure that the register is fit for purpose and achieving its aims. The research also aimed to gain insights into the ease of use and the effectiveness of the register in terms of its impact on those who have used it, including suggestions for improvement.
Description of data asset

The research was completed for the ACMA by Orima Research Pty Ltd in 2025. 

Datasets for the project involve two quantitative datasets.

  1. Dataset one is an IBM SPSS dataset of survey responses from the core questionnaire for the research, involving current or former registrants who had consented to be involved in research. This dataset contains completely deidentified responses to the core questionnaire from registrants. A deidentified data snapshot from the register, showing registrants as at March 2025, was provided by the register operator to Orima Research Pty Ltd in March 2025. The ACMA was not involved in transferring the data to Orima so that the transaction occurred at arm’s length to the ACMA, as an additional measure to ensure the privacy and safety of registrant data.
  2. Dataset two is an IBM SPSS dataset of survey responses from a supplementary questionnaire of interactive gamblers who have never been on the register. The purpose of the supplementary research was to understand the views of interactive gamblers who have never been on the register about the NSER, and their awareness of the register. Data for this questionnaire was collected by the Online Research Unit, a market research panel contracted by Orima Research Pty Ltd. 

Datasets provided to the ACMA are all deidentified to ensure confidentiality and participant privacy.
Legislation and authority The dataset is not specifically connected to legislation. The ACMA regulates the interactive (online and phone) gambling industry and is responsible for monitoring compliance with the law, including the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) and the Interactive Gambling (National Self-exclusion Register) Register Rules 2022.
Scope and coverage The NSER datasets apply to research completed in 2025 only. As noted above, the dataset for the core questionnaire was provided to Orima Research Pty Ltd in March 2025.
Reference period March to September 2025.
Frequency and timing 2025 only.
Formats available Datasets are in IBM SPSS (.SAV) format.

Data quality description

Accuracy

The data published for the NSER reports are considered ‘correct’. Datasets were checked by Orima Research Pty Ltd during the project, the ACMA’s Research and Analysis Section, and ACMA’s Gambling Mis/Disinformation Sections.

Relevance 

There are no mandatory dataset requirements for these datasets given the datasets were unique to the NSER project. Data fields were determined based on the datasets provided by the register operator to Orima Research Pty Ltd. 

Timeliness

The ACMA regulates the interactive (online and phone) gambling industry and is responsible for monitoring compliance with the law, including the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) and the Interactive Gambling (National Self-Exclusion Register) Register Rules 2022. Datasets from the register operator are directly relevant to the project as they represent the only available record from the register of current and former registrants who had consented to participate in research.

Collection

For dataset one, the register operator shared an extract of current and former registrants who have consented to participate in research with Orima Research Pty Ltd. This occurred in March 2025. The ACMA remained at arm’s length to the transfer in order to protect participant privacy. Orima Research Pty Ltd held the data using their secure protocols, and destroyed the dataset when the project ended on 1 September 2025.

For dataset two, the Online Research Unit provided Orima Research Pty Ltd with a dataset following the administration of the supplementary survey of interactive gamblers who had had never been on the register. Orima Research Pty Ltd held this data securely during the project and destroyed their copies on 1 September 2025.

Consistency

There are no mandatory dataset requirements for the NSER datasets.

Fit-for-purpose

Both datasets are fit for purpose as they provided deidentified survey responses for both quantitative surveys completed during the NSER project.

Last updated: 13 November 2025
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