TONY ABBOTT TO TARGET ONLINE BETTING:

WFSCBC:[ WARRIOR NEWS ].///\\*|||.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2015.

TONY ABBOTT TO TARGET ONLINE BETTING:

The Abbott government is ­expected to move before Christmas to overhaul Australia’s outdated online gambling regime, with tougher rules to target the business models of offshore bookmakers who currently ­operate ­beyond the reach of regulation and tax laws.

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison will lead a 'long-­awaited-review' of the '2001-Interactive-Gambling-Act', which has been made largely redundant by ­technological change and the ­dramatic growth of global sports betting.

The Australian understands the draft terms of reference are consistent with a 'pre-election' pledge from Tony Abbott to tighten the regulation of online betting.

The review will examine the economic impacts of illegal offshore wagering, international regulatory regimes, and technological and administrative options for improved regulation.

It is likely to lead to the establishment of a national 'self-­exclusion-register', where known problem gamblers will be prevented from opening accounts with bookmakers.

It is also certain to reopen 'a-deep-fault-line' between 'anti-gambling-advocates', 'bookmakers', 'sporting-bodies' and the 'broadcasters-of-major-professional-sports'.

South Australian senator and 'anti-gambling-campaigner' Nick Xenophon has begun drafting amendments to the IGA that would ban online bookies from ­offering inducements, including credit, to punters, and ban all 'in-play' betting, where bets are placed after the start of a match.

Under current regulations, 'in-play' bets can be made over the phone but not online.

This distinction has been blurred by the development of 'click-for-call' technology offered by two global bookmakers operating in Australia, William Hill and Bet365.

"This review gives us an ­opportunity to take stock of the explosion of online gambling, including illegal overseas gambling, and the pernicious impact that online betting has had on sporting culture", Senator Xenophon said.

He is also pushing for a total ban on gambling advertising during sporting contests.

Speculation that the ­Abbott government was actively considering such a ban yesterday prompted a flurry of calls to Canberra from television executives.

Any move to outlaw gambling ads would leave 'free-to-air-television-networks' scrambling to meet the cost of new sports broadcasting contracts with the Australian Football League and the National Rugby League... It would also be fiercely opposed by the leading bookmakers.

Mr Morrison last night cautioned stakeholders not to jump at shadows before the review.

"People are reacting to something that hasn’t even been ­announced", Mr Morrison told 'The-Australian'... The government will be writing the terms of reference to the review and there will be ample opportunity for people to engage in the review... The government has no preconceived ideas in this area... We undertook to look at it, and we will engage in good faith".

Former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell has been mooted as a candidate to chair the review.

In May 2012, when he was ­opposition leader, Mr Abbott at a press conference with Senator Xenophon described internet gaming as, "A dark cave into which people can retreat", highlighting concerns about the social consequences of the practice.

The 'gambling-and-gaming-sector' is the 'fourth-fastest' growing television advertising category.

The world’s largest advertising group, WPP, said advertising expenditure by companies in the gambling and gaming sectors surged 16 per cent last year to $165 million, with the vast majority of the expenditure against AFL and NRL matches aired by the Seven and Nine networks.

CrownBet chief executive Matt Tripp, whose emerging company this year paid an estimated $10million to brand itself with the AFL and secure first rights on advertising with the league’s broadcast partners, said.. "The review should remove the outdated distinction between online and telephone 'in-play' betting".

"It is something that is going on about 2500 illegal websites around the world and it is something I think the government needs to address to make sure they protect the consumer by 'ring-fencing-it-here-and-taxing-it-appropriately' and ensuring it is allowed here so they can monitor it closely", he said.

Betting giant Tabcorp will push for greater clarity within the IGA and stronger enforcement of the rules.

It will welcome any attempt to block punters from resorting to offshore sites... It estimates about 14c of every dollar bet by Australian punters is handled by offshore companies.

The review of online gambling comes after the 'Kerry-Stokes-controlled-Seven-Network' joined forces with Racing Victoria to launch Racing.com, a new 'free-to-air-television-channel' devoted daily to Victorian thoroughbred racing.

The Seven and Nine networks declined to comment on the review.

Under the terms of the NRL’s new TV rights deal, News Corp (publisher of The Australian) is estimated to be paying up to $1.3 billion of the record $2.508bn deal.

News Corp Australia chief Julian Clarke said... "News Corp is not in a position to comment until we know the details of what is being proposed".

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