| Last updated: 4:15 AM Monday May 12nd 2008 | |  | Australia |
|
| | The Roots of Online Gambling in Australia
Gambling has been an inherent part of Australian culture ever since the first European settlers arrived on shore. The prominent British influence gave gambling a solid ground for its development, and it quickly became one of the most popular forms of entertainment among Australians. With many organized forms of gambling already established in the 1890's, it was only natural that Australia would be one of the first countries to get their hands on the newly developed technologies that would allow for internet gambling. And indeed, as the first sites began to appear across the Caribbean, on April 8th 1999, Australia became the world's first country to legalize online gambling.
Not only was Australia the first country to legalize online gambling under a fully regulated jurisdiction, but Lasseters Online is also the world's first internet casino to be operated by a land-based casino, situated in the Northern Territory. Lasseters believed in the online gaming industry as the future for international gambling from day one, and opened its doors to international customers even before other Australian states. The Australian government quickly realized the potential market success of internet gambling, and only 2 months after Lasseters launch became "determined to become the cyber-casino capitol of the world", as a 1999 BBC news report reveals. Australia Becomes a Market Leader
Sportsbetting and horse-racing are the oldest forms of gambling that have been practiced by Australian society, and Lasseters provided an online platform for this favorite Aussie past-time. With rapid growth and success, other companies began to follow suit, predominantly Totalisator Agency Boards (TAB) who introduced Australian sportsbetting betting via SKY satellite telecasting. Within a relatively short time too, the remaining Australian states began legalizing various forms of internet gambling, until the country became a market leading competitor setting the standards for gambling sites and governing jurisdictions alike.
Other gambling favorites among Aussie citizens include slot machines (which they term "pokies"), lotteries, scratch tickets and keno. These forms took longer to reach the internet, yet today are considered integral parts of Australian online casinos. Despite that the land-based gambling industry is significantly more established and able legally, Australians still provide one of the most stable online gambling markets in the world, and have been home to some of the internet's best, such as Joseph Hachem. A Backwards Turn for Internet Gambling
As mentioned, Australians have adopted gambling as a vital aspect of their culture. However, their die-hard love for 'pokies' and habitual casino-visiting has also given way to a generation of gambling addicts. Just as Australia became the fastest growing online market, so did it become one of the largest nations harnessing a gambling addiction, and the government was quick to act. On June 28th 2001 the Australian Government passed the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA), designed to protect Australians from the harmful effects of gambling. Uniquely, the law targets internet gambling providers as opposed to citizens, declaring it an offense for providers located both on and offshore to provide such services to the Australian public.
Despite this backwards turn, this did not mean the end of internet gambling in Australia. Typically Aussie, online sportsbetting is considered an extension of land-based gambling and thus allowed so long as a license is obtained. In addition, only those online casinos that were been established after May 2000 are prohibited, leaving several successful Australian online casinos in operation for the nation and world-wide to visit legally. So What Does the Future Hold for Internet Gambling in Australia?
It is difficult to predict the legal future of Australian internet gambling simply because each state is governed individually and remains under contron of the Commonwealth. However, the overall attitude is to tackle problem-gambling from every angle possible. Whilst this is likely to be followed by new restrictions, it has also given cause to many Australian companies to develop ground-breaking new technologies in the face of problem gambling. Many Australian companies have also integrated with international organizations (such as 888 and Cryptologic) to provide innovative gaming software based on their years of first-hand experience.
One thing is for sure - regardless of setbacks, internet gambling is so well ingrained into Australian culture that only positive contributions to the industry can be expected by this distant nation! |
| | |
