Out-Law / Your Daily Need-To-Know

The Australian Internet Industry Association (IIA) has announced the formation of a special on-line taskforce to lobby against the Federal Government’s plans to restrict and perhaps ban internet gambling.

IIA executive director, Peter Coroneos said, "This is an important issue for the entire industry because any move to ban internet gambling just creates further momentum for policies which not only are unworkable but will damage the industry generally. While we do not necessarily condone or disapprove of gambling per se, we believe it is incumbent on industry to offer solutions which have a real chance of success. We have met with the Prime Minister's office and have offered to sit down and design a solution that can work. That offer still stands."

Mr Coroneos added, "the IIA believes that on-line gambling should be regulated, not banned. The technologies now provide potentially better protection for end users that is the case off-line, at casinos or race tracks. In addition, banning will drive Australians to visit unregulated offshore sites which will undermine the policy objective of protecting end users here. This may be well intentioned but is spectacularly ill-conceived" said Mr Coroneos. There are better ways to do this - and they all involve industry consultation and co-operation".

Internet casinos are illegal in the UK.

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