INTERACTIVE GAMBLING ACT REPORT TABLED

16 July 2004
114/04

On 12 July the Howard Government decided not to take any specific regulatory action in relation to betting exchanges following a review of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).

The report of the review has been tabled and is available under the 'consultation' link at www.dcita.gov.au.

As part of the review, established to prevent the escalation of problem gambling resulting from new interactive gambling services, the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts examined a wide range of issues including the impact of betting exchanges. The review was informed by research and analysis provided by the Allen Consulting Group whose report is also available under the 'consultation' link.

The report found no compelling evidence to suggest that betting exchanges were likely to contribute to an increase in the level of problem gambling and noted the potential for enhanced consumer protection measures to be introduced in an online gambling environment.

The Government's view is that this is best done through existing State and Territory licensing regimes and I again call on the States and Territories to recognise their responsibilities and act to strengthen their licensing regimes across all wagering services including interactive wagering and betting exchanges.


Media Contact: Jane Seaborn (02) 6277 7480 or 0439 425 373