Unibet join Aussie online in-play party; Emu Casino domain ownership fraud?

Online betting operator Unibet’s Australian division has become the latest to launch a law-flaunting in-play sports betting product.

The Australian website of the Malta-based Unibet recently trumpeted the fact that punters can now take advantage of its “NEW LIVE BETTING!” offering, which is currently available for Chrome and Firefox browsers but the site promises the function will be “arriving soon on the Unibet App.”

Unibet’s voice-activated live-betting system mimics the smartphone apps launched by bookmakers William Hill, Ladbrokes, Bet365 and Sportsbet, despite lingering questions over the legality of such systems under Australia’s 2001 Interactive Gambling Act (IGA), which allows remote in-play wagering only via the telephone.

The Australian government is sitting on a report detailing its review of the IGA, which includes whether or not the government should relax the online in-play prohibition. But Australia is expected to face a federal election later this year and the government is reportedly not keen on appearing to be expanding gambling options given that polls have shown it’s a vote-loser.