The country of Australia has effectively made online poker illegal. This comes after the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill’s approval on Wednesday, which has caused significant market instability.
There are indications that not all hope is lost for Australian poker enthusiasts, despite the prohibition. Government representatives have indicated that they are exploring a system for licensing and overseeing online poker.
Senator David Leyonhjelm has been a vocal proponent of online poker in Australia. He revealed on Tuesday that he had gotten correspondence from Mitch Fifield, the Minister for Communications. Fifield allegedly informed Leyonhjelm in the letter that he had instructed his agency to investigate how licensing for online poker providers in Australia may operate.
The Interactive Gambling Bill’s primary objective was to prevent unlicensed sports betting firms from preying on Australians. It mandates that any business wishing to accept wagers from Australians obtain an Australian license.
Leyonhjelm and the Australian Online Poker Alliance fought tirelessly to keep online poker out of the new legislation, but to no avail. This has, regrettably, resulted in a prohibition on online poker.
As a result, numerous online poker companies, including industry heavyweights like PokerStars and 888, have been forced to cease providing services to Australian customers.
Parliamentarian Xenophon may have encountered some obstacles this week, but he remains steadfast in his campaign for a fresh gaming regulatory body within Australia. He’s indicated that he’s drawing inspiration from the UK’s framework and aims to implement a comparable system domestically. His primary focus is ensuring that Australians can engage in online poker securely, without resorting to questionable overseas platforms. The establishment of such a system is long overdue, and Xenophon recognizes this urgency!
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