Australia is one step closer to a lottery ban

The House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban lottery services in Australia.

Australia.- The House of Representatives of Australia has given the green light to a project that would amend the current gaming legislation (the Interactive Gambling Act 2001) to ban lottery betting in the country. Although the bill needs to be approved by the Senate and the Prime Minister, experts are positive the amendment will be made.

In the last few months, lottery operators in the country have been carrying out different protests against the amendment but yesterday afternoon the bill was finally approved by the country’s House of Representatives. Furthermore, the project has the support of both the Federal Government and Labor Opposition.

The government reiterated its intention to ban “synthetic lotteries”, which allow players to bet on the outcome of lotteries. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said that the government thinks synthetic lotteries are a threat to small business owners and newsagents.

The bill forbids foreign operators from offering any type of bets on the outcome of Australian and overseas lottery draws. These amendments are expected to come into effect after the passing of the bill through the parliament in order to allow an appropriate transition period.

Moreover, Fifield said that as many Australians enjoy lotteries and keno as a recreational activity, the Turnbull Government is committed to ensuring that gambling takes place under a robust legislative framework with strong consumer protections and within the boundaries of community standards.