Proposals for an ban on internet gambling in Australia are set
to come into force later this year. The Australian government will
pass a moratorium against states and territories granting licenses
for interactive or internet gambling services. The law will impose
maximum fines of A$1.1m (£440,000) per day on companies that
contravene the legislation.
In the long term, Senator Richard Alston Minister for
Communications, IT and the Arts hopes to see all forms of
interactive gambling permanently outlawed. He maintains that if
this is not done it will add to existing gambling problems in
Australia.
However, there has been some opposition to the proposal, most
notably from members of the Internet Industry Association who
believe that the measures will simply force gambling operators
offshore, thereby reducing the level of protection for those
participating.
Although the UK government has announced its intention to
legislate on internet gambling, it has said that this will not be
done until 2001. The current UK position, therefore, relies on
rather outdated legislation contained in the Lotteries and
Amusements Act 1976, which cannot be easily applied to new
communications systems.
