Online Poker Officially Banned in Australia

[Chemist]

Why don't politicians and governments do something useful.

sort out homelessness, energy supply and fuel poverty, healthcare, transport and all the important things before wasting time like this.

What is the point of government if it fails to focus on and fulfill its primary purpose?

 

[57noona]

Why do they have ban a good thing like poker?

 

[rodrigo1972]

thats very bad , poker is a sport i dont understand why they do that it is like USA why??

 

[OzExorcist]

Don't forget the AFL Grand Final public holiday, they may as well know we are a mob of degenerate gamblers.

I'm still playing and I haven't heard any black helicopters hovering overhead.

LOL I'd completely forgotten about the Grand Final holiday. So yeah: we have a public holiday for a horse race AND a football game. We rock

The bill hasn't actually been passed into law yet I gather, and I'd expect sites like Stars to keep the lights on right up until the moment it's made official. It's a question of when, not if, though. It's been passed by Parliament and it's definitely happening.

Incidentally, Leyonhjelm made some offhand remark about how we should just get VPNs and keep playing. I don't think he understands how either VPNs or poker site security works because that really wouldn't be a good idea. You literally have to prove you've moved permanently to another country to get Stars to reactivate your account.

Is there any fellow Australians here who are still able to access their 888 poker account?

I've never played on 888, but I'm pretty sure I read they pulled out of the market early after they saw the writing on the wall. NFI why.

I don't see why they won't allow online poker. It is a good source of income for the states. It creates competition in the gambling industry and it will surely benefit the players.

N'yeah... as mentinoed above, "competition" for casino games is actually something our government doesn't want. At least not for the time being.

I can kind of see where they were coming from: back in the day when they granted these exclusive casino licenses the internet was barely a thing, let alone online poker. They probably thought they were already taking a big step allowing one brick and mortar casino and they didn't want a dozen more of them sprouting up. So I could see some sense in that.

Continuing to renew and extend that monopoly I don't understand though.

why it happened,
maybe it is because of government policy

Yes, by definition it's because of government policy.

That is bad news and more for pokerstars the great room but so are the politicians of our world veneficio for them

Honestly, I don't think Stars will miss us that much. There's no way Australia is anything more than a tiny percentage of their business.

They'd rather have us than not have us, obv, but I don't think we make them that much money.

thats very bad , poker is a sport i dont understand why they do that it is like USA why??

So... poker isn't a sport, and as above the reasons for doing this in Australia are pretty different to the USA.

 

[S3mper]

Senator David Leyonhjelm had some interesting advice on this topic

"I’m talking to the government about reconsidering the legislation, but if they go ahead I will put forward amendments to make an exception for online poker and blackjack. In the meantime, it might be worth contacting Minister Alan Tudge and politely reminding him that you play online poker and you vote.

And if none of this works screw the government get yourself a VPN and an offshore account and carry on as you were.”

 

[OzExorcist]

Senator David Leyonhjelm had some interesting advice on this topic

"I’m talking to the government about reconsidering the legislation, but if they go ahead I will put forward amendments to make an exception for online poker and blackjack. In the meantime, it might be worth contacting Minister Alan Tudge and politely reminding him that you play online poker and you vote.

And if none of this works screw the government get yourself a VPN and an offshore account and carry on as you were.”

Yeah I'm having to bite my tounge so damn hard at this point because Leyonhjelm is about the best advocate for poker players we have in this Parliament...

...but he's a guy who freely admits that he was only elected because he was first on the ballot and his party name sounds a lot like one of the two major parties. So most of the people who voted for him did so either by mistake, or because they didn't care and just ticked the first box. I don't think there's a single other issue I agree with him on, and he's not always the most informed.

On this topic for example: the thing about VPNs simply won't work. poker stars isn't a region-blocked YouTube video. There's no way Joe Average can just install a VPN and start playing on Stars again (and even if they COULD it'd be a bad idea).

 

[shinedown.45]

Yeah the other thing about Australia that's not really reported is that most of our brick and mortar casinos have government-granted monopolies on offering casino games.

For example I live in Melbourne, the second-biggest (but most best, obv) city in the country. We have exactly ONE casino in the whole of the state, and their deal with the government guarantees they'll continue to be the only one until at least 2050. Which is insane. It also means they can do lousy things like charge for time AND rake every pot in cash games, because they're the only game in town and they can do what they like.

I don't know if that's a driving force behind this - I do know that back when some of those deals were initially made, the internet was barely a thing, and online gambling almost certainly wasn't.

But I strongly suspect that the brick and mortar casinos are the ones with the most power here. If they decide they want to open their own online poker sites, they could probably make it happen. If they decide they don't want to compete with online poker sites, we're probably screwed.

Your B&M casinos will benefit most from this decision and are most likely the reason behind the ban.

 

[1k95]

Law and Poker

In Australia, banned online poker.

Australian players have received unpleasant news, which they have been waiting for over the past months. The Australian Senate finally adopted an amendment to the law on online games. In the new edition, the law not only tightens the rules for the operation of online operators, but completely prohibits online gambling.
The Australian authorities tried to limit gambling back in 2015, but in the first edition the law left a lot of loopholes for those wishing to work in the Australian market. It is expected that after the adoption of a new version of the law, those working there will work in the coming weeks. As early as the end of 2016, 888Poker left Australia, and pokerstars announced that they would soon be withdrawing due to new legislation.


Together with the online cover, under the hot hand of the authorities, sports betting in live mode also fell, and Australians will be able to bet on sports before the start of the event, as before.

 

[OzExorcist]

So some good news on this front - the ban will still be enacted, but due to a backlog of other stuff in the House of Representatives it didn't get rubber-stamped in this session of Parliament!

Assuming providers like Stars will wait until the last possible second to stop offering their services (and I can't see any reason for them to do anything else), it means we'll be able to keep playing until at least May, when Parliament reconvenes.

Australian players have received unpleasant news, which they have been waiting for over the past months. The Australian Senate finally adopted an amendment to the law on online games. In the new edition, the law not only tightens the rules for the operation of online operators, but completely prohibits online gambling.
The Australian authorities tried to limit gambling back in 2015, but in the first edition the law left a lot of loopholes for those wishing to work in the Australian market. It is expected that after the adoption of a new version of the law, those working there will work in the coming weeks. As early as the end of 2016, 888Poker left Australia, and PokerStars announced that they would soon be withdrawing due to new legislation.


Together with the online cover, under the hot hand of the authorities, sports betting in live mode also fell, and Australians will be able to bet on sports before the start of the event, as before.

N'yeah... I'm not sure where you got this article from, but it's not accurate.

Online gambling as a whole is NOT banned. Online sports betting was and will continue to be 100% legal, though they're doing some minor fiddling around the edges with regard to live betting on events that have already started.

Online casino games and online poker are now banned, though they were technically already banned.

 

[kidkvno1]

Wow, how dumb can govs be???? Since Blackfriday in the US, casino's have seen a drop in players in their poker rooms, I see the same taking place in AU.
Without the online sites, play drops at real casino's. One US poker room is closing, it's due to no players!

If I can't play online, why the F should I go to a casino and play!!

 

[sekcapilniqt]

why it prohibits the reason

 

[Zorba]

Why don't politicians and governments do something useful.

sort out homelessness, energy supply and fuel poverty, healthcare, transport and all the important things before wasting time like this.

What is the point of government if it fails to focus on and fulfil its primary purpose?

The intended purpose of the legislation is useful, the problem is that they added poker as an after thought.

Your B&M casinos will benefit most from this decision and are most likely the reason behind the ban.

No they wont, the people that normally play there will still play there, the people that are too far from the 1 casino in my state won't travel hours it can take to get Crown Casino, then there is the drive back for me that would cost me about $30 minimum in petrol.

So some good news on this front - the ban will still be enacted, but due to a backlog of other stuff in the House of Representatives it didn't get rubber-stamped in this session of Parliament!

Assuming providers like Stars will wait until the last possible second to stop offering their services (and I can't see any reason for them to do anything else), it means we'll be able to keep playing until at least May, when Parliament reconvenes.

The email I just received from Stars.


Dear Me zorba,

The Australian Senate recently passed the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill (2016) and it now sits with the House of Representatives. The bill will effectively ban all online gambling sites that are not locally licensed under Australian State or Territory law. It’s with great sadness that we have to say that if this bill is passed it means we will have to halt real money poker play for you and all other Australian players. The next legislative session is in May. We will keep you informed at every step.

Australian poker players have built up a fantastic community over the last couple of decades and we’re proud of the part we’ve played in helping it to grow and welcoming so many great Aussie players to our tournaments around the world.

Before we go any further, let us say that your funds are, and will continue to be, safe and available for withdrawal, and that you can continue to play at PokerStars until further notice.

We respect the Australian Government's intentions. Keeping players safe is a mission that we share wholeheartedly. We’ll work as hard with governments and regulators around the world as we do internally to ensure that PokerStars provides the safest and fairest games around.

We’re committed to keeping you informed and to support the game in all its shapes and sizes, wherever it may be in the world. We will continue to be actively engaged in lobbying for the safe and sensible regulation of online poker, both in Australia and elsewhere.

On that last point, the campaigning that the Australian Online Poker Alliance did in the run up to the bill being passed should be applauded. They did a great job in educating politicians and the Australian public at large about the game we play and have indicated that they intend to continue campaigning for sensible poker legislation.

Online gambling as a whole is NOT banned. Online sports betting was and will continue to be 100% legal, though they're doing some minor fiddling around the edges with regard to live betting on events that have already started.

Online casino games and online poker are now banned, though they were technically already banned.

Live after start time bets were what this legislation was all about and I agree that it should be banned, too much opportunity to manipulate results.

I have always been under the impression that we were allowed to play, it was the sites that were not allowed to offer services to us that was illegal.

 

[OzExorcist]

Wow, how dumb can govs be???? Since Blackfriday in the US, casino's have seen a drop in players in their poker rooms, I see the same taking place in AU.
Without the online sites, play drops at real casino's. One Us poker room is closing, it's due to no players!

If I can't play online, why the F should I go to a casino and play!!

"Because it's your only option if you're a degen" would be the answer I guess

The thing about Australian brick and mortar poker rooms is that they're not very big to begin with. Crown Melbourne boasts the "biggest poker room in the southern hemisphere", but I'd bet it's nowhere close to the size of even one average Vegas casino.

The point, I guess (as Zorba mentioned too), is that it's mostly just a loyal live game crowd in there anyway. They probably get just as many regular patrons graduating there from pub poker as they do from online.

Where it might hurt them is their bigger tournament series, which they've co-branded with online sites for quite some time.

The email I just received from Stars...

Live after start time bets were what this legislation was all about and I agree that it should be banned, too much opportunity to manipulate results.

I have always been under the impression that we were allowed to play, it was the sites that were not allowed to offer services to us that was illegal.

Yeah I got the same email from Stars - though I never got any from them BEFORE the bill was passed encouraging me do do something about it, did you? Apparently some other Australian players did. Go figure.

And yes you're right - the existing act banned sites from offering the service to us, but there was no mention of penalties for Australians actually playing.

 

[Zorba]

Yeah I got the same email from Stars - though I never got any from them BEFORE the bill was passed encouraging me do do something about it, did you? Apparently some other Australian players did. Go figure.

And yes you're right - the existing act banned sites from offering the service to us, but there was no mention of penalties for Australians actually playing.

No nothing here either, and I didn't hear anything about the PPA, I'm registered with the APL and I'm getting texts about live games from 888PL, I thought like you that somehow it could have been advertised better, or contact through one of those leagues.

 

[Krabbeltje]

Why don't politicians and governments do something useful.

sort out homelessness, energy supply and fuel poverty, healthcare, transport and all the important things before wasting time like this.

What is the point of government if it fails to focus on and fulfill its primary purpose?

^ This 100%. I think politicians and governments should do something useful and make the lives of people better - protect the Earth for humans and animals alike, indeed healthcare, etc, etc, etc. My heart goes out to the australian poker community and let's hope that politicians and government will come to their senses and focus on primary purpose instead of going after (online) poker

 

[leon_fush]

Yes, this is not very good news US Australia who is next ??? Soon there will be only Brazilians in online poker))) I hope this question will be settled and everyone will be able to play limitless ...

 

[Kevin Watts]

Well...they brought in a carbon tax and realized that was a mistake 3 years later. Hopefully the same will happen with online poker. I thought Australia was a progressive country. Smells like government run casino protectionism to me. They do not realize how online poker has brought more players to live poker rooms and the spin off benefit to the casino itself.

 

[OzExorcist]

Well...they brought in a carbon tax and realized that was a mistake 3 years later. Hopefully the same will happen with online poker. I thought Australia was a progressive country. Smells like government run casino protectionism to me. They do not realize how online poker has brought more players to live poker rooms and the spin off benefit to the casino itself.

So deciding NOT to go with a carbon tax might have been a tip off that we don't have an especially progressive government right now, but that aside...

...once again, this is a law that's been on the books for over 15 years. They're just agreeing to actually enforce it now / deciding they won't carve out an exemption for online poker at this time.

The government DGAF how may players online poker brings to live poker rooms (it's not enough to be bothered by in any case). Nor should they care IMO.

 

[kidkvno1]

"Because it's your only option if you're a degen" would be the answer I guess

The thing about Australian brick and mortar poker rooms is that they're not very big to begin with. Crown Melbourne boasts the "biggest poker room in the southern hemisphere", but I'd bet it's nowhere close to the size of even one average Vegas casino.

The point, I guess (as Zorba mentioned too), is that it's mostly just a loyal live game crowd in there anyway. They probably get just as many regular patrons graduating there from pub poker as they do from online.

Where it might hurt them is their bigger tournament series, which they've co-branded with online sites for quite some time.

Online poker sites helped get more players in by giving them tickets and paid for air fair, they placed in the top 10. Without it brick and mortar poker rooms have lost players. Whats funny, is how brick and mortar poker rooms were bitching about online poker hurting their pockets!

If the AU gov, can't see that this will hurt them, The Gov will see after it happens.

 

[OzExorcist]

Online poker sites helped get more players in by giving them tickets and paid for air fair, they placed in the top 10. Without it brick and mortar poker rooms have lost players. Whats funny, is how brick and mortar poker rooms were bitching about online poker hurting their pockets!

If the AU gov, can't see that this will hurt them, The Gov will see after it happens.

So I really don't know what more I can tell you: both Zorba and I live here, so we know the casino in question. And we're telling you, it won't make much difference to the day-to-day mix of players who go there.

If they lose some entries to the bigger tournaments they can probably make them up through live satellites. Overseas players will still be able to satellite online. Plus it's very possible that they'll actually gain some regular players, because local online regs will literallly have nowhere else legal to play.

I also know a lot of staff who work at the casino. They really aren't that bothered by it either way. Personally I'm surprised they're not pushing for legalisation so they can officially get into offering online poker themselves, but they only started up their own online sportsbook about a year ago despite those already being legal... so go figure.

And the ones who definitely couldn't care less about the impact of banning online poker on live poker room numbers are the government. It. Will. Not. Hurt. Them. One. Bit. The effect of live poker on government revenue is negligible, a literal spit in the ocean. Not one MP will lose their seat at the next election over this because there just aren't enough people that care.

They're forgoing a bit of extra tax revenue they could have made by legalising online poker, but since the status quo was that it's not legal, then they're not technically hurting there either.

 

[Zorba]

Online poker sites helped get more players in by giving them tickets and paid for air fair, they placed in the top 10. Without it brick and mortar poker rooms have lost players. Whats funny, is how brick and mortar poker rooms were bitching about online poker hurting their pockets!

If the AU gov, can't see that this will hurt them, The Gov will see after it happens.

Remember we in Oz don't pay tax on winnings, the only interest they have is the tax from the casino's revenue.

I don't know how many poker rooms you may have been in but I've only been in the one at Crown Melbourne and imho it is a joke, it is not that big and always has a waiting list to wade through the few times I have been there.

They are not making huge money from poker that the government would be losing much due to online poker.

:dontknow:

 

[Vlad symrak]

Prohibit or not poker is the right of any country. It is not possible to discuss something here. Clearly, only one thing is that these are temporary measures and when the power changes everything will change sooner or later !!!

 

[Zorba]

Prohibit or not poker is the right of any country.

If I understand this correctly you are saying that it is a governments right to do what they want in regards to allowing online poker, the government are representatives of the people, the people should have been given more of a chance to respond, online poker was not the intention of this law.

It is not possible to discuss something here.

Sure it is, we are doing it now.

Clearly, only one thing is that these are temporary measures and when the power changes everything will change sooner or later !!!

Clearly????, Temporary???, Sooner or later, that sounds more like how long is a piece of string.

:dontknow:

 

[Zorba]

Online petition.

https://www.change.org/p/keep-online-poker-in-australia

:top:

 

[Mahsa dMo]

That's just nasty. I don't know why the government decide for the people what they should be doing with their money. Let's say, I want to just burn my money to warm up my house. It is not wise and I don't have that kind of money but it is freaking MY MONEY.