Australia gov’t to postpone online in-play betting decision until after election

Australia’s government plans to stall a decision on whether to authorize online in-play sports betting until after this year’s federal election but could take more immediate action to punish international online gambling operators.

On Wednesday, Human Services Minister Alan Tudge briefed governing coalition parliamentarians on the findings of the government’s review of the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act (IGA), which was led by former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell.

Tudge told the Herald Sun that the report and the government’s response likely won’t be publicly released for a few weeks, but the newspaper claimed the response would include a blanket ban on wagering on credit, a harmonization of state-level promotional offer rules, as well as a national self-exclusion scheme for problem gamblers.

On Thursday, The Australian reported that the most controversial element of the IGA review – whether to relax the restriction of in-play sports betting to telephone and in-person wagering – won’t be addressed until after the next federal election, which by law must be held by January 2017 but will likely take place in the second half of 2016.