Australia Seriously Considering Liberalisation of Online Gaming Laws, Announce Gaming Club
TA’XBIEX, Malta, June 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –
The Australian government is set to consider a report calling for increased
liberalisation of the online gambling sector, announce Gaming Club. One of the first
online gaming sites, Gaming Club [http://www.gamingclub.com/mobile-casino.aspx ] reports
that the new legislation would not only offer Australian gamblers an increased level of
consumer protection, but also a greater selection of online gaming options.
The interim report to the federal government could lead to an increase in the number
of sports betting options available online, including live in-play sports betting, which
is currently only legal via mobile and in person. Online poker tournaments could also be
legalised as part of the proposals.
As well as recommending legalisation of in-play betting online, the report proposes
linking online gaming laws to match-fixing laws, appointing the Australian Communications
and Media Authority to oversee online gambling, and new harm-prevention measures,
including self-exclusion from websites.
Australia’s current stance on online gambling is decidedly muddled. While it is not
illegal for Australian citizens to play casino games online, it is illegal for companies
to offer these services online to Australians. Revenues suggest that many Australians do
play online casino games, spending an estimated AU$790 million on offshore gambling sites
in 2008, with that figure now estimated at AU$1 billion per year.
Sports betting, meanwhile, is legal online, with a few exceptions, including that of
live in-play betting. A nation of sports lovers, Australia’s sports betting sector has
seen steady growth over the past ten years, with revenue growing to more than AU$400
million.
The interim report follows previous recommendations from the government’s independent
advisory body to officially legalise and regulate online gambling in the country. In 2009,
the Productivity Commission advised the government to lift its 2001 Interactive Gambling
Act, which currently bans most forms of online gaming, to allow the government to benefit
from the $1 billion revenues currently being spent overseas, while increasing consumer
protection for Australian online gamers through regulation.
About Gaming Club
Gaming Club is one of the oldest established online casinos in the UK provided quality
Online Casino entertainment to millions to users for 16 years.
SOURCE Gaming Club
