From my Australian sources. Like deja vu all over again.
<<Queensland backs Internet gaming reguation, not ban
9:43 Wednesday 19 April 2000
AAP
INTERNET gambling should be regulated, not banned as suggested by Prime Minister John Howard, the Queensland Government said yesterday.
Queensland Treasurer David Hamill said Howard did not understand the technology used for Internet gambling, which made it physically impossible to ban the activity in Australia.
"Governments cannot put their heads in the sand on this issue and hope the problem of Internet gambling goes away,' Hamill said.
He said he would oppose any Federal Government moves to ban online casinos or impose a moratorium on new Internet gambling licences.
State and territory gambling ministers flew into Canberra ahead of today's ministerial council meeting on gambling and the topic of Internet gambling is expected to dominate the meeting.
The Queensland Government began issuing Internet gaming licences last year, sparking the so-called Net Bet affair.
Hamill was forced to stand aside temporarily while the state's crime watchdog investigated his role in the granting of the state's first online casino licence to Gocorp, a company backed by three high-profile Labor Party identities, including former state MP Bill D'Arcy, who is now facing a string of child sex charges.
The Treasurer, cleared of any wrongdoing over the Net Bet affair, yesterday defended the Queensland Government's position on regulating Internet gambling.
"Our focus in regulating Internet gaming is on harm minimisation and player protections,' he said.
"We can't stop people using Internet gaming sites, (but) we can provide a safe regulatory environment when they use Australian sites.'
Hamill, in Canberra for today's talks, labelled Howard's call for a ban on any new online casinos licences a "simplistic snake oil remedy' that would only serve to benefit Internet casino operations already licensed in Australia.
"While we welcome the recent interest from the Federal Government into online gambling, it should be recognised that Queensland has been focused on the protection of the community for some years,' he said.
The Queensland Government last week announced tough new gambling regulations, including a cap on the number poker machine allowed in pubs and clubs and restrictions on the use of note acceptors on poker machines.>> |
