Australia bookmakers worried on ban

Online in-play betting services are starting to be banned in Australia.

Australia.- As the national government announced in April, Australia in-play betting services were shut down in the country. Bookmakers expressed their concern due to the significant loss that could represent for their businesses and the possibility of boosting illegal gaming if players do not accept the measure.

According to industry’s calculation, the Australian sports betting major providers, such as Unibet, would stop perceiving US$1.1 million in revenue for each week since the prohibition decreed last month. Unibet’s Australian general manager Peter Staunton commented that in-play betting services, better known as “click-to-call” services, were one of the strongest sectors for the company.

Click-to-call bets were highly demanded by Australian players leading to set the product as one of Unibet’s fastest service. The European and Australian renowned bookmaker believes that the government would have more control over online in-play betting legislation rather than in its ban. Unibet’s chief executive Henrik Tjarnstrom explained, “You could not stop customers doing what they wanted. If customers want to do it on their mobile, they will find a way to do it.”

Tjarnstrom also commented that the company is expectant about Australian regulation in order to plan a profitable future for its services. “In the end, it is the customer that decides. The regulation has to reflect what they want to have, and sooner or later that will happen,” he concluded.