Clubs Queensland is concerned about security in the online gambling market. Its CEO, Doug Flockhart, has written an editorial in the Courier Mail about the lack of safety nets at online casinos that could be used to prevent problem gambling. Flockhart opens his piece by stating that brick-and-mortar gambling venues are being ‘strangled’ by regulation.
In Australia’s land-based gambling world, operators are required to meet various criteria regarding player safety and responsible gambling methods. Flockhart believes that the same safeguards are not employed at online pokie sites, making them less safe. “This stands in stark contrast with the virtual world, where no such regulation exists and business is booming,” Flockhart writes.
“No age limits, no time limits, no betting limits and nobody monitoring your behaviour and sobriety”. In betting shops, pokie clubs and casinos across Australia, staff members are trained to identify underage individuals, problem gamblers and inebriated patrons. However, there have been plenty of incidents in which self-excluded players were permitted to gamble and many young people that have failed to be identified at land-based casinos.
It seems that brick-and-mortar gambling venues have shortfalls in their security, but Flockhart does raise a valid point. The reason that online casinos are considered less safe than gambling venues is because they are not regulated by the local government. Australia has resisted online gambling legislation for years, choosing to ignore the fact that there are thousands of international casino sites available to local residents.
Prohibition of any activity or substance has always proven ineffective, so it is important for the local government to consider regulating online gambling. It would keep residents safe by imposing responsible gambling measures and ensuring that licensed operators adhere to strict rules. Australia’s land-based pokie market could certainly serve as a positive example for potential online casino legislation.
About the Author
