Australia bans online poker amid regulation speculation

However, officials from the Australian government have confirmed that they are mulling over potentially decriminalising the online poker market and implementing a full licensing framework.

On Tuesday, Australia’s chief online poker advocate, Senator David Leyonhjelm announced that he “has received a letter from Communications Minister Mitch Fifield advising that he has instructed his Department to undertake some preliminary work examining the feasibility of Australian onshore providers obtaining licences to operate online poker.”

The primary aim of the Interactive Gambling Amendment act was to stop unlicensed sports betting operators from targeting Australian customers, while instituting the requirement that any company taking Australian bets had to have an Australian licence.

This had the unfortunate consequence of effectively banning online poker, and despite the best efforts of Leyonhjelm and the Australian Online Poker Association efforts to exclude online poker from the forthcoming legislation fell on deaf ears.

Many online poker operators, such as PokerStars and 888 were forced to withdraw their services from Australian players as a result.

Despite this week’s setback, Senator Leyonhjelm remains committed to the establishment of a new Australian regulatory body, similar in its make up to the UK’s Gambling Commission, saying: “Australian online poker players deserve to have a safe, regulated environment in which to enjoy their pastime and not be forced into using offshore sites, I will make sure this matter maintains momentum.”

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Robert Simmons

Gambling Writer

Robert Simmons served as a writer for Gambling Insider, where he was an active contributor from 2017 until 2018. Throughout his tenure, Robert executed in-depth market research and wrote over 500 news and press-release articles covering the global gambling industry under strict editorial standards and tight deadlines. He contributed editorial support to the production of five 100+ page Gambling Insider magazines, eight 25+ page Trafficology magazines, and five 25+ page special print focus editions. In addition, he produced 30 in-depth feature articles for print, secured over 30 contributions from external writers, and built long-standing professional relationships with industry stakeholders across all levels of the gambling sector.

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