Wagering operator Crownbet says it will not offer the live-betting services that have caused controversy in Australia until a review of the country’s online gaming laws has been completed.
Australian law forbids the placing of live bets by any method other than a telephone call, but systems used by William Hill and Bet365 circumvent this by checking if the user has their computer or smartphone microphone switched on and deeming that to be a phone call.
Earlier this week, iGamingBusiness reported that Social Services Minister Scott Morrison is to head a review of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA), which critics believe does not adequately cover changes in gaming over the last 14 years.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, Matthew Tripp, Crownbet chief executive of Crownbet, said: “I think some of the policies in the IGA do need a review.
“I’ve had the same in-play betting system as William Hill and Bet 365 since the end of 2014 but have chosen not to roll it out until I could get some verification from Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the federal police.
“In light of the review, I won’t be rolling it out until that process is complete.”
The regulatory ACMA earlier this year referred operators Bet365, William Hill and Ladbrokes to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Interpol due to questions over their legality, with Ladbrokes since suspending its in-play platform until the law is clarified.
Tripp also said he wants to see the review focus on the vast number of offshore bookmakers, which are not regulated to operate in Australia.
He added: “Providing the focus is on leakage from out of Australia to areas where we can’t ensure that harm minimisation remains the focus, then I think the review makes sense.”
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
