NSW Fines or Jail for Gambling on Live Animals and Banned Betting for Licensed Bookmakers

Unlawful Gambling Amendment (Betting on Animals) Bill 2023

Private Member's Bill

22 Nov 2023: MPs in the first house are debating whether this bill is a good idea in principle.

Legislative Council

Legislative Assembly

Assent

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Topics

animal welfare criminal penalties gambling gambling laws greyhound racing harness racing horse racing public safety

Introduced by: Emma Hurst MLC (AJP)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

People cannot gamble on activities involving live animals; this includes greyhound, harness, horse, and jumps racing.
People who gamble on live animals face up to 12 months in prison or a fine.
This ban applies even if the person is gambling with someone outside the state or country.
Licensed bookmakers cannot run bets on activities involving live animals.
Bookmakers face up to 2 years in prison or a fine for a first offence; subsequent offences carry higher penalties.
The law removes previous exemptions for lawful forms of gambling.

News articles and press releases

Unlawful Gambling Amendment (Betting on Animals) Bill 2023

The Hon. EMMA HURST — 2023-11-22

The bill does not actually ban horseracing or greyhound racing, even though it is the position of the Animal Justice Party that these harmful animal abuse industries must be abolished as soon as possible, and we will continue to lobby the New South Wales Government to do so. What the bill does is amend the Unlawful Gambling Act 1998 to make it an offence for a person to gamble on an activity involving a live animal, and it also makes it an offence for a bookmaker to offer bets on such activities.