Apple App Scrutinized by Aussie Politicians

Apr 01, 2013
Apple App Scrutinized by Aussie Politicians
The legality of Apple's poker app featuring PokerStars has been questioned by several anti-online gambling Australian politicians lately, who once again called for a federal government crackdown on overseas gambling operators. Commenting on the app, which apparently allows Aussies to download and gamble on mobile devices for real money, Senator Richard Di Natale who is also a member of the gambling reform committee, stated: "We don't allow online poker in Australia for Australian people under the Interactive Gambling Act ... they [Apple] have got an obligation to take down apps that are against Australian law and they should do it." And while Apple declined to comment on the matter, it was learned that Pokerstars has an Australian office and local bank accounts. But it may not be alone in taking a piece of the online gambling cake without a license - a March 2013 Productivity Commission review of the ten-year-old Interactive Gambling Act, claims that there could be as many as 2,200 online gambling providers based mainly offshore and illegally offering services to Australians. Also, the review recommended legislative changes to enable and encourage currently prohibited online gaming sites to become licensed and regulated in the country, which was denied by the Gillard government. The arch-opponent of online gambling in the country, Senator Nick Xenophon once again stated his opposition to online gambling services that allow Australians to pay real money for virtual currency which is then gambled but cannot be cashed out, which he claimed "habituates gambling". He called on government to close this "legal loophole" – a position obviously supported by Andrew Wilkie, another anti-online gambling Aussie politician, who said that rather than allowing online gambling sites to be licensed in Australia the government should tighten the rules further and "...put in place strategies to deter Australians from accessing dangerous offshore sites". On the other side, the founder of the Perth-based internet start-up Chumba Casino, which exploits the social gambling sector on Facebook, Laurence Escalante shared his point of view regarding the issue: "We 'gamify' gambling to make it fun, accessible and safe. Prohibition simply doesn't work, and enforcing it in practical terms is difficult, if not impossible," he said.
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