Australian Government Considers Regulating Offshore Lotteries

The federal government of Australia has announced it is set to investigate offshore online lottery and online keno providers, in a bid to reduce the risk of gambling-related harm to customers in the jurisdiction.

Australia to review offshore online lottery platforms.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlined details of the proposed review and has instructed Communications Minister Michelle Rowland to lead the investigation into the offshore lottery gaming platforms. Rowland has previously expressed concern from the federal government over the recent growth of offshore online lottery and keno operators and the impact this is having on the domestic bettors in the region.

Additionally, the government has indicated it believes the offshore gambling platforms available to customers in Australia are having a detrimental effect on the trading figures of gaming operators in the states of the country.

The growth and availability of online keno and foreign-matched lotteries is particularly concerning, It is important to understand the impact these two products are having on the community, including vulnerable Australians and small businesses.

Michelle RowlandCommunications Minister

More Regulation News

Review Competition to The Lottery Corporation

The Lottery Corporation is the Australian state-owned lottery offering available to customers in the states of Australia. There are several offshore online lottery operators competing with the state-owned platform and the largest of these is The Lottery Office, which brings its flagship products including US Powerball, and Mega Millions.

The government will also investigate how robust and trustworthy the overseas online operators are and don’t always face the same stringent regulations as the online gaming operators located within the states in Australia. There have been issues regarding loss of deposits from customers and some examples of customers not receiving payment of winnings from offshore gambling companies.

The game of Keno is another product that has seen an increase in popularity in Australia on the platforms of offshore online gaming operators. Players in Australia can pick numbers for online draws that take place in foreign countries.

The government says that there are a range of steps that can be introduced to reduce offshore online gambling measures and will consider these if necessary.

Our members rely heavily on those well-run state lotteries as a key component of their businesses it drives a lot of employment,” Mr Kearney said. “Those foreign match products are very different. It’s appropriate that they should be carefully considered as part of this process.

Ben KearneyChief Executive of Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association

Regulators in Australia continue to introduce measures that will reduce gambling related harm and this included the recent gambling credit card ban.

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