Online gambling 'exodus' begins in Australia

[The Buzz]

FlushDraw.net reports that popular English-language online-casino site Vera&John has notified its Aussie customers via e-mail that their accounts will be closed by the end of the calendar year, due to the looming implementation of a series of amendments to Australia’s online gambling laws.

The move by Vera&John, though not formally announced on the company’s site, is expected to be the first of many such departures by a slew of online-casino and poker providers. Such gaming activity has never been made expressly legal in Australia, despite some prior legislative attempts to do so. Instead, clarifications made within Australia’s Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 passed in November are poised to force dozens of European operators to step away from the Australian market.

Vera&John is based in Malta, and is owned and operated by Dumarca Gaming Ltd. Dumarca, in turn, is owned by Canada-based Intertain Group, which acquired Vera&John in an €89.1 million deal in early 2015. The site and two related social-gaming brands cater to about a dozen countries, scattered around the globe.

Read more about the exit of Vera&John and the possible implications here: http://www.flushdraw.net/news/austra...irtual-stakes/

[ocreditor]

So Australia is not going to issue licenses to online operators ?

[wonderpunter]

It will just mean more for the "US" offshore industry programs

[TheGooner]

So Australia is not going to issue licenses to online operators ?

The Australian position on short term duration betting (all casino and poker - and also in-play sports betting) is very simple ...
Short term betting is too addictive for Australians and has been declared illegal - there will be no licenses.

[PROFRBcom]

It will just mean more for the "US" offshore industry programs

I was thinking the exact same thing when I read about this a few weeks ago. The gray market sites (I like how you did that "US" haha) are going to swoop in and try to pick up that business.

[sweetbet]

That's right. The players will just go somewhere else.

[Moonlight Cat]

Short term betting is too addictive for Australians and has been declared illegal - there will be no licenses.

And how about land based casinos and slot machines? They are less addictive than online casinos? Or somebody from landbased gambling business want to destroy online competitors? Like Sheldon G Adelson try to do in USA.

[TheGooner]

The argument given by politicians is that physical licensed premises are monitored by staff and have better procedures and protections for eliminating underage and/or compulsive gamblers.

While this DOES have something to do with politician bias, and local vs offshore business, and tax money lost, there is also little doubt that the online gambling industry has not helped itself with a number of high profile reports highlighting Australians who have been allowed to gamble and lose significant amounts of money online. Those reports create public reaction - and politicians respond to that reaction.

Online sports betting is allowed in Australia to locally licensed bookmakers and many international firms have opted-in. But online casino / poker does not have the same place in Australian culture - and frankly there is little negative reaction from the general public to this ban on online casino.

The new laws strengthen enforcement by outlining that it is illegal to offer online games of short duration to Australians (previously only illegal to advertise them). Reputable licensed online operators will stay away from or discontinue Australian operations accordingly.

So if you decide to target Australia with what is left you will need to thoroughly investigate your partner (as they are prepared to break Australian law openly) and probably not be based in Australia.

[Pokerface]

Thanks for your very clear explanation, very helpful.

[Syndicate]

In the US lobbying is everything, and has we know money buys favours. Sheldon Adelson was one of the main financial sponsors of Trump, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out!!

The moral high ground of Casino's go out of the window when they ply punters with free drinks!

And how about land based casinos and slot machines? They are less addictive than online casinos? Or somebody from landbased gambling business want to destroy online competitors? Like Sheldon G Adelson try to do in USA.

[Soplica]

There is a list of the operators that left Australia?

[Renee]

and frankly there is little negative reaction from the general public to this ban on online casino.

I have to second this. At least 75% of people I speak to have no idea you can even play casino online, and when they do know they don't care much about it because their first statement is usually about it probably being rigged.

Such a shame.

[ocreditor]

I have to second this. At least 75% of people I speak to have no idea you can even play casino online, and when they do know they don't care much about it because their first statement is usually about it probably being rigged.

Such a shame.

Wow interesting, these days with 75% no awareness of the online gambling world it's amazing !

[GCG]

once it is written in stone all major microgaming, netent etc brands will close their player accounts, or is it the same old story by publishing it but not enforcing it?

not seen any announcements yet..........

[GCG]

The Australian position on short term duration betting (all casino and poker - and also in-play sports betting) is very simple ...
Short term betting is too addictive for Australians and has been declared illegal - there will be no licenses.

Why are the Aussies so sensitive to this you reckon ?

[Roulette Zeitung]

I have to second this. At least 75% of people I speak to have no idea you can even play casino online, and when they do know they don't care much about it because their first statement is usually about it probably being rigged.

Such a shame.

Wow interesting, these days with 75% no awareness of the online gambling world it's amazing !

Well, if you search at the grey areas, you will be happy to find a single online player.

Perhaps Australia's greatest UFO hoaxer Damien Nott plays online.
Faking one of his blurring motherships takes only 30 minutes.
So due to his hoaxes he has no friends and enough time.
No friends, with the exception of Netflix who is streaming his "Australien Skies" nonsense.

Leopold

[GCG]

Most in the EU know you can play online but think most are organized scams to steal your money.

[Moonlight Cat]

The problem is, that this law will not stop online gambling. Here in Russia, we have the same laws. And we have very strong internet censorship that impossible in Australia. Every week goverment blocked thousand casinos, bookies, affiliate sites without any court orders. For example i use VPN to get access to GPWA.

And results? Zero. We have are huge underground online gambling market, that growing every year. We have hundreds and thousands online casinos. Because market is black, they don't pay any taxes. Because they don't pay any taxes, they may give are huge RevShare to affiliates. 50% or 60% lifetime is normal. Because RevShare is big, more and more affiliates go to gambling niche. I think that the numbers of affiliates in Russian market increased hundred times for last several years.

[uadialej]

That's right. The players will just go somewhere else.