More Australian news....
<<Australia Proposes Online Betting Ban; States Reject
Canberra, April 19 (Bloomberg) -- Australia's government wants to push ahead with plans to place a one-year freeze on the expansion of Internet betting, even though the majority of state and territory governments have rejected the proposal.
State and territory gaming ministers met today, with most opposed to the federal government's plan to suspend issuing new online gaming licenses. The federal government said it will now consider options under the nation's constitution to forcibly apply a 12-month moratorium on Internet gambling.
``The states and territories still seem more interested in preserving their gambling revenue than in addressing their social responsibilities,' Communications Minister Richard Alston and Family Services Minister Jocelyn Newman said in a joint statement. New South Wales, Australia's most-populous state, and Western Australia state were the only two states that agreed to the ban.
Under Australian laws, state governments have powers to regulate the gaming industry, though the federal government regulates communications. The Howard government has already passed laws that attempt to stop pornography on the Internet.
The federal government said a freeze in the expansion of interactive gambling services would prompt an investigation into banning Internet gambling altogether. That may hurt the future business plans and profits of Australian gaming companies, which have been establishing online gambling sites to take advantage of a market growing faster than traditional gaming businesses.
Addicted Gamblers
In March, a Senate Committee report on Internet gambling recommended the federal government suspend handing out new online gaming licenses. The report said an Internet betting ban would be difficult and expensive. It would also steer addicted gamblers to overseas-based gambling sites.
The Senate was responding to a report by a federal government advisory body, the Productivity Commission, which recently estimated that 290,000 Australians are ``problem gamblers,' who lose A$3 billion (US$1.8 billion) a year.
Today's announcement comes four months after Prime Minister John Howard said he may follow moves by the U.S. government to ban Internet betting, because of the nation's large number of addicted gamblers. It's estimated that online gambling generated turnover of about US$5 billion worldwide last year.
The government is concerned that new technologies will create a surge in online gambling services, creating further excessive gambling and social problems.
The possible ban comes as four online gaming companies move to sell shares on the Australian Stock Exchange. Gocorp Ltd., Gamble.com.au Ltd., Lasseters Holdings Ltd. and Access Gaming Systems Ltd. have all announced initial public share sales over the past month in a bid to position themselves as the dominant players in the world's US$1.5 billion online gambling industry.
It also comes as Australian state governments introduce laws aimed at preventing then expansion of gambling. New South Wales and Victoria, the nation's two most-populous states, have recently placed bans on further slot machine numbers.>> |
