Online Casino Transfer: News - Party Poker Doesn't Care

03/05/2010		Online Casino Style: News Party Poker Doesn't Care
Home History Games News Dictionary		The Australian government finds itself once again in the online gambling news circles this week, but for once the story isn’t about the impending censorship of the internet down under. Rather, the issue in question relates directly to current prohibitionary laws against internet casinos, however un-enforced as they may be. The existing law books actually read that offshore online casinos may not, under any circumstances, provide internet gambling services to any persons who are actually and physically present in Australia, limiting legal online casino firms to those which have bases in the region. According to the law, set down by the Interactive Gaming Act of 2001, the fines attached to violating the law aren’t punitive either. For companies breaking the prohibition code, fines of A$1.1 million can be imposed per day. Individuals – meaning players who choose to access offshore internet gambling sites – can be fined A$220,000 per day. Few online casinos have been licensed to operate in Australia, as many are cautious about investing in a nation so close to passing censorship laws. One firm, however, has made some brazen decisions this week, advertising and recruiting in Australia with no intention to comply with local business laws. The group in question is that of Party Poker, whom the Sydney Morning Herald reported this week was going to set up shop regardless of the A$1.1 million fine that could go with such a move. According to the piece, Party Poker has already begun looking for staff, the first move in positioning themselves to leverage the brand into a lead spot in the Australian and New Zealand poker markets. The reasoning behind it is the local government’s inability to ever enforce the antiquated Interactive Gaming Act, having never acted once to prevent or restrict the activities of any online gambling company. Even despite the millions in losses (the Productivity Commission estimated that in 2008 A$790 million found its way to offshore sites), the law has still remained silent on the matter, apparently having forgotten the law. For now, Party Gaming has refused to comment on the decision.

03/05/2010

Online Casino Style: News
Party Poker Doesn't Care

The Australian government finds itself once again in the online gambling news circles this week, but for once the story isn’t about the impending censorship of the internet down under. Rather, the issue in question relates directly to current prohibitionary laws against internet casinos, however un-enforced as they may be. The existing law books actually read that offshore online casinos may not, under any circumstances, provide internet gambling services to any persons who are actually and physically present in Australia, limiting legal online casino firms to those which have bases in the region.

According to the law, set down by the Interactive Gaming Act of 2001, the fines attached to violating the law aren’t punitive either. For companies breaking the prohibition code, fines of A$1.1 million can be imposed per day. Individuals – meaning players who choose to access offshore internet gambling sites – can be fined A$220,000 per day. Few online casinos have been licensed to operate in Australia, as many are cautious about investing in a nation so close to passing censorship laws. One firm, however, has made some brazen decisions this week, advertising and recruiting in Australia with no intention to comply with local business laws.

The group in question is that of Party Poker, whom the Sydney Morning Herald reported this week was going to set up shop regardless of the A$1.1 million fine that could go with such a move. According to the piece, Party Poker has already begun looking for staff, the first move in positioning themselves to leverage the brand into a lead spot in the Australian and New Zealand poker markets.

The reasoning behind it is the local government’s inability to ever enforce the antiquated Interactive Gaming Act, having never acted once to prevent or restrict the activities of any online gambling company. Even despite the millions in losses (the Productivity Commission estimated that in 2008 A$790 million found its way to offshore sites), the law has still remained silent on the matter, apparently having forgotten the law. For now, Party Gaming has refused to comment on the decision.