Notwithstanding significant opposition from numerous Australian gamblers, a comprehensive prohibition on internet gambling has been approved by the Australian Senate.
The legislation, known as the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016, aims to modify the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 in accordance with suggestions presented in a 2015 assessment concerning the influence of unlawful offshore betting.
This revised legislation will result in the prohibition of all online casinos and poker platforms within Australia, with the ban taking effect within a month. Nevertheless, according to local news sources, intended measures against internet service providers to restrict access to unauthorized operators targeting Australian players will not be enforced promptly.
The Senate’s endorsement of this bill occurs merely a week following the House of Representatives’ passage of the identical bill and follows a Senate Environment and Communications References Committee inquiry into “Australians’ access to online poker” where Australian internet poker enthusiasts and other interested parties were invited to provide statements, and where they implored for poker to be exempted from the online gambling prohibition.
Throughout the inquiry, poker players and others were questioned regarding whether or not internet poker should be prohibited and for what reasons.
Senator Leyonhjelm, a longstanding advocate for internet poker, has consistently maintained that it is a game of strategy rather than luck. He posits that it should not be categorized with casino games under gambling regulations. The senator has proposed that, instead of prohibiting online poker, the Australian government should establish a framework for its oversight and ensure the collection of appropriate taxes.
However, it appears his appeals were disregarded. In response to recent legislation, numerous prominent online poker platforms, including PokerStars and 888poker, opted to withdraw from the Australian market entirely. These companies have ceased accepting players residing in Australia.
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