Australia Could Legalize Cash Poker and Live Sports Betting

The long fought battle for a change in Australian gambling laws with a view to allow live betting and cash poker games in the country may be nearing the end.

Australia gambling news reports on a Federal Government briefing stating the lawmakers are in the process to draw up the required legislation to allow cash poker and live betting on sports Down Under. The news is only a speculation so far, yet there are serious sources supporting the claim.

An e-mail has been quoted by various media streams, which briefed Merrill Lynch clients about latest development. Allegedly the e-mail was sent from gaming analyst Mark Bryan. The briefing e-mail followed an online gambling symposium devoted to online poker sites in Australia as one of the topics.

The meet gathered together such online gambling industry players as Jumbo Interactive, Tattersall, various sportsbooks and Tabcorp.

A small portion of the e-mail in question reads: "In-play live online betting: Many in the industry indicated that they expect this to be legalized alongside poker in the next six to 12 months following overseas precedents.”

It goes on to mention: It seems (Communications Minister) Stephen Conroy's department recently provided a brief on draft legislation."

The legislation move is rumored to have been initiated with a purpose to eradicate the ever-growing illegal gambling carried out on offshore gambling sites, which break both Australian and overseas laws. Bryan himself noted that any possibility of such a move may still be overthrown by a volatile political climate in the country.

Conroy’s department refused to comment the rumors, yet noted that the ministry is entering the final stages of its review of the Interactive Gambling Act.