Gambling has always ranked high on the list of everyday pastimes, but when it comes to Australia, it beats every other hobby by a long shot! Statistic data shows that over 80% of the adult population in Australia engages in the popularity of gambling practices, in one way or another:
- casinos
- poker
- sports betting
- lottery
- bingo tickets
This, in turn, affected other parts of civil financial stability and the country’s overall economy. Problem gambling practices ultimately cost the central government a small fortune.
In an attempt to resolve the situation in a clean and comprehensible manner, Australian authorities have imposed legal measures that restrict gamblers from engaging in specific activities.
While the boundaries between online casinos
and land-based, and legal and illegal are very clear-cut in theory...
...there are many loopholes and by-ways that turn playing games of chance legally in Australia into something more than just a gamble.
Online Gambling Laws in Australia
Australia is known to be one of the most liberal countries when it comes to the old-fashioned traditional way of brick-and-mortar gambling. Casino establishments still frequent the major cities and strategic points across the country’s territory, but the situation with the online casino sphere is far more concerning.
In order to get a full understanding of the legal standpoint, go through the laws, provisions, and amendments which apply to this specific sphere in their own manner.
The Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) of 2001 – Since the expansion of online gambling hit the Australian market, and detrimentally affected the economy, the government called for a legal regulative. This would establish order, proper collaboration and corresponding sanctions of all parties involved.
The main provisions which could be drawn from the IGA back when it first assented on 11 July 2001 stated that Australia-based online gambling establishments are prohibited from catering to the Aussie player base.
What is more...
Advertising real-money gambling activities, platforms or other promotional forms to the same Aussie-based player pool was just as illegal.
On a final note:
Specifically, athletics relating to sports betting, these online bookmaking platforms were no longer legally able to offer lines of credit, i.e. free bets to Aussie-based customers.
The Interactive Gambling Bill (IGB) of 2016 – The initial regulative brought some effect, but not to the desired degree of potency, which in turn called for yet another legal regulative to help boost its power.
As an amendment of the IGA, the Interactive Gambling Bill of 2016 took to the example of the USA legislative system (the UIGEA Act of 2006) and addressed specific, direct issues and segments of the marketplace in an attempt to get tangible results.
This caused Aussie-based online gambling to be fully restricted, with the specific exception of online sportsbooks which are related to land-based establishments.
Still:
Only select types of bets were made available, and any form of advertising, gambling online on Aussie-based or offshore sites was just as illegal, causing major international operators to retreat from the said market.
How to Practice Legal Gambling in Australian Online Casinos?
Despite such legal regulations and all kinds of additional provisions, gambling enthusiasts in Australia are still free to enjoy their hobby. This is so due to the fact that all legal regulative is directed at the online casino or poker sites, or other types of gambling operators, not the players themselves.
So what does that mean:
Playing is not a punitive action, but the process of providing these services from an Australia-based website is definitely illegal. Should an offshore-based website get the proper license to operate on Oz territory, their services would be legally catered to the relevant player pool.
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