Although the Australian government has refused to regulate online casinos, Australian residents have been quick to jump on the online gambling bandwagon. According to a new report by Roy Morgan, Australians have spent over $1 billion at online betting and online casino websites. It seems that local punters are redirecting their gambling spending.

While land-based gambling revenue continues to fall, online casinos are seeing a significant increase in the number of players from Australia. Roy Morgan’s research notes that Australians spent more than $1.1 billion on online casinos in 2012, and that number is expected to increase significantly over the course of the next year. Although poker machines are the most popular form of gambling in the country, their revenue is also falling.

From 2011 to 2012, there has been a $1 billion decline in poker machine spending – and it can be assumed that much of this money was redirected to the online gambling market. The Australian government has already regulated the online betting market. Locally-based companies like TabCorp and SportingBet have received online gambling licenses, allowing them to offer online sportebetting services to local residents.

Last year, the government expanded, offering a license to Bet365, an online betting operator that is located offshore. So, it would seem that regulating online poker and online casino games would seem like the next natural step. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The Australian government does not want to introduce online gambling regulation until all states establish uniform consumer protection and harm minimisation strategies.

By passing the buck, the federal government is losing out on valuable revenue that could be earned from licensing online casinos. Politicians would be able to tax all online casino profits, as well as earn money from licensing fees.

However, their refusal to regulate the market means that Australian players will continue wagering at offshore online casinos, contributing millions of dollars to countries where these operators are based, such as Gibraltar, Malta and the United Kingdom.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.