Online Gambling In Australia, The debate.

[mattsgame]

Watched a show tonight called "Insight" that is aired over here in Aus, tonight's episode was all about online gambling.

You watch the full episode HERE (goes for 45 odd minutes)
Aussies be warned this episode has our great friend Nick Xenophon in it.

I was going to put my take on it up here, but atm it won't make much sense as I am to sleep deprived.

Anyways thought I would share it on here and get some of your opinions on the matter


Edit: Bit of info on this.

There are more online gambling providers than ever before, and Australian punters – armed with laptops and smartphones – now have access to thousands of sites, compared to only a handful in the 90s.

Punters can place a wager on everything from the weather forecast to who’ll win the next election. And if you watch televised sporting events you’ve probably seen the live promotion of betting odds for the match.

And that’s just the legal side of things.

Last year, the Productivity Commission estimated that in 2009 Australian punters sent $800 million to offshore gaming sites, which are meant to be off-limits to Australians.

This week Insight looks at Australia’s changing gambling habits – asking whether it’s all just a bit of harmless fun and part of our Aussie culture, or whether gambling is being normalised in a way that should concern us

[jetset]

I can't understand why the Aussie federal government - which at one stage a few years back had the most practical and progressive attitude toward the regulation of online gambling - continues to nanny its citizens, rejecting the sensible recommendations of its own Productivity Commission which suggested that regulation was the way to go.

There's another interesting Aussie story in Casinomeister News this week about the state government of Victoria which has launched an anti-online gambling advertising campaign.

[Nifty29]

I can't understand why the Aussie federal government - which at one stage a few years back had the most practical and progressive attitude toward the regulation of online gambling - continues to nanny its citizens, rejecting the sensible recommendations of its own Productivity Commission which suggested that regulation was the way to go.

There's another interesting Aussie story in Casinomeister News this week about the state government of Victoria which has launched an anti-online gambling advertising campaign.

Thanks for the link matt I shall check it out.

The first ads aired today, and they are exclusively aimed at legal online sports betting.

[jetset]

And here's another interesting Aussie move:


AUSSIE ONLINE GAMBLING INVASION?

James Packer's land casino giant makes moves on the UK market

The Southern Australian land gambling giant owned by the Packer family, Crown Casino, appears to be heading toward the United Kingdom with online gambling operator ambitions, judging by trade mark filings at http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-os/...c/2581087.html and approaches to Brit companies with which it may come into trade mark conflict.

The filing applies for trade mark protection in three business areas, the one principally of interest to InfoPowa readers possibly being Class 41, which declares:

"Gambling and casino services including the provision of gaming and casino services over a global computer network; amusement services; entertainment services, including cinemas, theatres, night clubs, casinos; provision of entertainment and recreation facilities, providing facilities for and arranging and conducting conferences, congresses and seminars, presentation of live performances and health club services; provision of education and training relating to the aforesaid services; publication services relating to the aforesaid services; organisation of, and provision of entertainment and educational information relating to, the aforesaid services over a global computer network."

Objections to the application are open until 12 October.

The parent company for the casino division, Crown Limited, is no stranger to the online gambling industry, having entered into a 50 percent joint venture with online betting exchange Betfair in 2004 titled Betfair Australasia (see previous InfoPowa reports).

The Australian company also has land gambling interests in the UK.