To our gambling friends in the land down under, my condolences. It would appear that the government is taking a stricter stance against gambling. Gambling taxes have gone up, advertising has been clamped down and many gambling options have been removed. And, to add insult to injury, betting on foreign, as well as domestic, lotteries is no longer an option.

The Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) Amendment (Lottery Betting) Bill 2018 was designed to clarify parts of the gambling act that was first introduced in 2001. Through the amendment, legislators have now scratched off lotteries from the ever-shrinking list of viable gaming alternatives. Several bookmakers had previously offered gamblers the ability to place wagers on the outcome of lotteries in the country, as well as outside its borders, but that ability is now dead.

In a statement to The Australian, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said the new legislation will ban betting on Keno lottery, noting that allowing “fake lottery” has undermined “the long-standing community acceptance of official lottery and keno products.”

Under the bill, gambling operators like Gibraltar-based Lottoland will be prohibited from offering “placing, making, receiving or acceptance of bets” on the outcome of “Australian and overseas lottery draws.” The amendments are expected to take effect six months after it passes through the parliament.