NOO! Bet365 to pull out of the Australian market!

**mattsgame** · 16th August 2011, 02:43 AM

Due to Bet365 looking to gain an Australian Sports Bet licence they will no longer be able to offer Australians there casino, poker, games and bingo

Email verification:

We're in the process of applying for a Sports betting licence in Australia. As part of our preparations for this, we regret to inform you that our Casino, Poker, Games and Bingo sites will no longer be available from week commencing 22nd August.

Any funds currently in your Casino, Poker, Games and Bingo balances will be transferred to your Sports balance. Our Sports site will continue to work as normal.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

I'am going to try chase up some more info on this.

What do my fellow Aussies think of this?

**mattsgame** · 16th August 2011, 03:11 AM

Due to Bet365 looking to gain an Australian Sports Bet licence they will no longer be able to offer Australians there casino, poker, games and bingo

Seems this has been in process since May :/ so maybe most of you knew and I'am a little slow on this on

as this is the first I had heard of it.

The U.K/Ireland really has a foot hold on the Australian sports market now :P First Paddy Powers taking over Iasbet, Sportsbet and now Bet365 pushing into the market.

**Jasminebed** · 16th August 2011, 03:48 AM

Well, it was not very long ago they stopped offering some of the "pokies" available in the games section to Australian players.

Pity you've lost the rest of the casino offerings, they are a very good outfit.

It's kind of sad that they have known this is coming down the pipe for months, to give players such short notice to settle their accounts.

There well be players with bonus funds to still play, and sometimes people are off or on holidays without checking emails. Many players sign up with casinos with unique email addresses they don't check often.

I expect they will find some satisfactory arrangement for those players.

**Nifty29** · 16th August 2011, 04:49 AM

Very short-sighted.

No entity ever has or ever will be prosecuted or even charged under our weak law so its just being done to improve their chances of entering a more lucrative market.

I don't know why someone doesn't lobby for online casinos in Australia as everybody does it anyway so why not keep the cash here?

**mattsgame** · 16th August 2011, 05:22 AM

Originally Posted by Nifty29

Very short-sighted.

No entity ever has or ever will be prosecuted or even charged under our weak law so its just being done to improve their chances of entering a more lucrative market.

I don't know why someone doesn't lobby for online casinos in Australia as everybody does it anyway so why not keep the cash here?

These are my thoughts as well Nifty, It makes no sense at all. Surely they where doing well without the licence.

Bet365 also had *in play betting* in there favour on the sports betting side of things but that is NOT permitted with an Australian licence so they may lose some punters.

I think TAB (Tabaret) or Tatts should push for online gaming now that they have lost there monopoly of Pokie machines. We can gamble away at horses, tattlsotto, afl, soccer, events overseas and who the next prime minister is ganna be ffs all online, so why not a few spins on slots

.

Not to mention a fair chunk of online casino software is developed here in Australia, we provide a fair chunk of personal to online casinos whether it be for live chat , email support and affiliate programs.

Starting to ramble now on not much sleep

**jetset** · 16th August 2011, 07:46 AM

The Oz government seems dead set against legalising online gambling; last year the Productivity Committee recommended such a course after a comprehensive review of the industry in Australia, but it was rejected by the government (there was a statement from a minister named Jenny Macklin, I recall). And then you have another minister - Stephen Conroy - trying to censor the internet....it's not a pretty picture.

As for the hypocrisy of governments discriminating against perticular forms of gambling....well, I think that is something just about all of them do!

**mattsgame** · 16th August 2011, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by jetset

The Oz government seems dead set against legalising online gambling; last year the Productivity Committee recommended such a course after a comprehensive review of the industry in Australia, but it was rejected by the government (there was a statement from a minister named Jenny Macklin, I recall). And then you have another minister - Stephen Conroy - trying to censor the internet....it's not a pretty picture.

As for the hypocrisy of governments discriminating against perticular forms of gambling....well, I think that is something just about all of them do!

You had to mention Stephen Conroy

but thats a different matter and topic

This was a statement made by Jenny Macklin back in 2010

The Australian Government does not support the liberalisation of online gaming, including online poker, as recommended by the Productivity Commission.

The Government is not convinced that liberalising online gaming would have benefits for the Australian community which would outweigh the risks of an increased incidence of problem gambling, particularly with the rapid changes in technology.

The current prohibition on the provision of online gaming services to Australians will continue to apply.

The Government will examine the regulatory approach taken by other countries with similar regulatory regimes in relation to online gaming, such as the United States.

In particular, we will seek to work with other countries to investigate the possibility of a more effective multilateral regulatory regime to address this form of gambling, its social impacts and its impact on the Australian gambling industry.

God forbid we follow the United States *Regulatory* approach

**taysh075** · 16th August 2011, 08:31 AM

I wonder if this will flow onto New Zealand. I note that many casinos won't allow me to become a player due to legal issues in my area/country. Of course they mean Australia not New Zealand where it is, as yet, still ok as far as I am aware.

**mattsgame** · 16th August 2011, 08:36 AM

Here is another interesting article on the subject,

Gambling Reform Heats Up

Nifty's point above : No entity ever has or ever will be prosecuted or even charged under our weak law so its just being done to improve their chances of entering a more lucrative market.

Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. However, those laws are not enforced. The Australian Federal Police has received 17 complaints since 2001 about suspected illegal operators, but no charges have been laid.

Love the last part

Lawyer and gambling expert Jamie Nettleton, of Sydney's Addisons lawyers, said the industry wanted to be regulated. Overseas, regulations had been introduced in Britain, Italy and France, and even the United States was moving in that direction, he said.
''History shows that prohibition doesn't work.''

**Nifty29** · 16th August 2011, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by mattsgame

Here is another interesting article on the subject,

Gambling Reform Heats Up

Nifty's point above : No entity ever has or ever will be prosecuted or even charged under our weak law so its just being done to improve their chances of entering a more lucrative market.

Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. However, those laws are not enforced. The Australian Federal Police has received 17 complaints since 2001 about suspected illegal operators, but no charges have been laid.

Love the last part

Lawyer and gambling expert Jamie Nettleton, of Sydney's Addisons lawyers, said the industry wanted to be regulated. Overseas, regulations had been introduced in Britain, Italy and France, and even the United States was moving in that direction, he said.
''History shows that prohibition doesn't work.''

Looks like I got my credibility back after losing it all in that "should I leave RTG" thread.

Phew!!