Australia says 'g-day mate' to online gambling
by Sadie Jo Smokey, Outpost staff
While America has long prided itself in being the land of the free and home of the brave, when it comes to online gambling some say Americans are demonizing and killing opportunities for U.S. Internet ventures while hiding in the hills.
As Australian online gambling ventures are gaining credibility and name recognition through repeat traffic, states like Nevada and New Jersey prohibit online gambling thereby preventing millions of dollars that could be going into their casino coffers with the click of a mouse.
"(U.S. casinos) decided they preferred to protect their core business," attorney and author Anthony Cabot told Interactive Week. "If you don't support (online gambling) you're leaving the industry to non-U.S. participants."
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Australia has dealt its gaming industry an ace of spades by legalizing and regulating online gambling. Photo by Brian Vance |
"Australia has the chance of being the industry leader," Paul Appleby, GOCORP director and chief executive officer told AAP. "There's a massive global market where there is real consumer and real revenues, it's an enormous opportunity."
Currently, online gambling enterprises in Australia offer lotto and powerball, live results, racing and sports betting. In line with regulating online gambling sites, the Australian government conducts probity and liquidity checks on the gambling license-holders to make sure gamblers can get their winnings, that the sites are operated properly and that they pay the odds they advertise they are paying.
"It (is) a very tough process," said David Ohlson, executive manager of Lasseters Online.
Ohlson said Lasseters Online spent more than two years developing its Internet gambling site while the Australia's Northern Territory government conducted background checks on its 250-employee staff.
And, in its first two quarters of operation, Lasseters Online served 35,000 players from 176 countries that placed $23 million in bets. The site's revenue grew 39 percent in November 1999 alone, according to an article in ZDNet.
Posted May 1, 2000
Copyright 2000 Nevada Outpost
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