Australia could block poker players under new legislation

PokerStars CFO said that they would block Australians if the parliament passes a new legislation.

Australia.- The CFO of PokerStars, Daniel Sebag, said during the Q3 Amaya earnings call that if  the Australian parliament passes a new online gambling legislation, they would ban poker players from getting real money in their site.

Mitch Fifield, Minister For Communications, introduced this weekend the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 into parliament, which later that day received support from the Minister for Human Services, Alan Tudge, who said that he wants to disrupt the activities of “illegal offshore providers” who wants to take advantage of vulnerable people in Australia. This measurement was first introduced as Interactive Gambling Act of 2011.

Australia is currently the biggest gambling nation, Global Betting and Gaming Consultants affirmed that the society per capita spends approximately US$866 per year. The bill that prohibits online gambling in Australia says that “prohibited services under the IGA include online casino-style gaming services of chance or mixed skill and chance, such as blackjack, roulette and poker, which are played for money or anything else of value. Wagering and lotteries are permitted under limited circumstances.”

According to the report, 50 percent of that per capital is spent by Australians in poker machines. According to CalvinAyre, online poker in Australia accounts for 2.5% of their revenue, thus reducing their EBITDA by up to 150 basis points.