Ladbrokes has announced that its Australian division has reactivated its in-play live betting option following a review of unsuccessful legal proceedings against the feature by the Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA) national regulatory body.
Operators in Australia have come under fire in recent months over the in-play betting feature, with a number of legal, regulatory and government bodies calling for the service to be dropped as it breaches national law.
The 2001 Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) states that while bets on live games can be taken at retail outlets or over the phone, operators cannot offer this service via the internet.
Ladbrokes, as well as rivals Bet365 and William Hill, are among the companies to have argued against this regulation, claiming the distinction between online and telephone communications is now archaic and not in line with modern practice.
Earlier this month, Paddy Power-owned Australian operator Sportsbet also hit out at current legislation, stating that it is forcing many punters to use unregulated offshore services in order to access live in-play betting.
In October, William Hill successfully contested the ACMA investigation, with the Australian Federal Police confirming it would not follow up the complaint.
Ladbrokes has now taken this a step further by announcing that it will reactivate its live betting feature in due course.
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
