Australian politician to propose social games ban

According to a report from The Australian newspaper, South Australia Senator Nick Xenophon intends to propose an amendment next month that would see social network games where actual money can be lost such as Slotomania from Caesars Entertainment redefined as ‘gambling services’ and banned.

The move from the member of the independent No Pokies political party could also affect the DoubleDown Casino app from IGT, which is exempt from regulation under the current Interactive Gambling Act because credits can't be cashed out.

“The government has known for a long time that there is a serious issue here that needs action but instead it is still sitting on the fence,” said Xenophon. “That's why this legislation is urgently needed.”

The prohibition has been backed by Charles Livingstone from Melbourne’s Monash University, an expert on gambling research in Australia, after a government review conducted in November of 2011 failed to satisfy social gaming critics.
 
“These games are a disgrace,” said Livingstone. “They're identical to poker machines and they are easily accessible by young people habituating them to electronic gambling, particularly poker machines.”