Online gambling company call for the end of Australian Internet casino ban

The company said in a statement: “Poker has undergone a phenomenal rise in popularity in recent years, and as a result, more and more poker and other card game players are turning to the web.”

It continued: “It is illegal to offer online poker to Australian residents, but that hasn’t prevented several large international operators from creating an enormous customer base here – assisted by promotional activities using high profile Australians and cross-selling through ‘play for free’ sites. It is estimated that more than $300 million is bet by Australians annually on online poker – and it’s a figure that is rapidly growing.”

“All revenues flow directly offshore without any tax being paid in Australia. Furthermore, players are gambling in a largely unregulated environment, with little protection offered to players in terms of fraud, security or harm minimization. The ban on offering interactive gaming to Australians has had very little effect on curtailing the enormous growth of that sector of the market in Australia.”

“Betfair advocates an approach based on regulation, rather than attempts to prohibit the activity. Only through regulation can effective player protection initiatives be enforced in the online environment,” it concluded.