PokerStars pulling out of Australia August 1st?

[shari91]

From an article on Quad Jacks


In a stunning announcement Poker Stars has withdrawn from the Australian market from August 1st. Devastating news.

It looks like PokerStars has insight that one of their subsidiaries (GP Information Services) based in Erina Heights which is in a suburb of Gosford in New South Wales, has been under the radar by the Australian authorities. GP according to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission is owned by Oldford Group which is one of the business entities involved in black friday. GP Information Services provides marketing services for Pokerstars for the Australian market, which under the current law they are unable to market to Aussie players directly, this is from the 2001 IGA law.

[apkboston]

uh oh, thats pretty bad news, for international as well as australians

[speaker]

Oh-oh...

My PS $ suddenly feels less safe...

Hope Canada isn't next...

[ChileCheese]

Shari QJ is a retarded internet poker community and news feed.
They only go off speculation and feed rumour mongering.
95% of what they say never pans out.

Not that there havent been rumour of this in the past... but this is one of the least reliable sources.
What has me thinking they might be right though,,, is that players have emailed Stars asking for an update and have been told " No Comment".

[shari91]

I wouldn't be too worried if I were living in another country. It seems PokerStars is breaking Aussie law.

The passing of the Internet Gambling Act in 2001 means that it is not an offence for you to play online poker, but it is an offence for the companies to provide the service to you.

Australian poker law can be confusing at first glance. It is not illegal to play a cash game of poker in a casino in any part of Australia, however the law surrounding poker tournaments outside of casinos is a little different. These are only allowed in New South Wales and Victoria. The law for Australian online poker sites is stranger still.

On June 28th, 2001, the Australian government passed an act known as the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, or the IGA. This act was designed to protect Australian poker players from some of what they see as the harmful effects of online gambling – for example, the increased risk of addiction from such an easy-to-access form of gambling.

The Interactive Gambling Act focuses on the people who provide online gambling services, rather than on the consumers themselves. Under the IGA, it is an offence to provide online gambling services to customers who are preset in Australia. It is not, however, illegal for an Australian to play online poker, or partake of other online gambling services, under Australian law.

No online gambling service providers may offer online poker or other forms of gambling, whether they are based in Australia, or offshore. It does not matter if the company is Australian, or foreign owned, they are not allowed to provide services to Australians. Sports betting; however, is legal in Australia, and there are many sports betting sites in operation in the country.

[ChileCheese]

This is all the beginning of the end of online poker as we see it now.
Other countries will soon join the US, France, Belgium and so on in order to avoid the lost tax dollars.

[shari91]

Shari QJ is a retarded internet poker community and news feed. They only go off speculation and feed rumour mongering. 95% of what they say never pans out. Not that there havent been rumour of this in the past... but this is one of the least reliable sources. What has me thinking they might be right though,,, is that players have emailed Stars asking for an update and have been told " No Comment".

A friend just jumped on MSN and said the same as you about QJ so I added the ? to the title to be safe.

The reason I even gave this article any weight at all is because I'd remembered reading a piece the other day on The Australian's website about the AFL props debate. Andrew Traits (CEO of Betfair) came out and said this, and after he did I remember thinking I'd hate to be a poker operator right about then:

"While it is pleasing to see both the federal and state governments taking the integrity of betting in sports seriously and on a united front, the present legislation is clearly not working when it comes to online poker," Twaits said.

"Online sports betting in this country turns over $300 million a year, is highly regulated and we pay our taxes, while operators of online poker sites are not, many of which are controlled and run offshore.

"That's the real challenge facing not just the federal and state governments of this country, but governments across the globe.

"It is estimated that the turnover in this and other forms of illegal betting is $125 billion worldwide. That's why as an industry we welcome any tightening of the present legislation in this country of the Victorian Integrated Gambling Act.

"The sooner the rest of the states and territories fall into line the better it will be for everyone."

[Extra Innings]

Who else is pulling out in Australia

[pavyracer]

Australians play poker?

I thought they all live in the outback chasing crocodiles.

[shari91]

Damn Chile - THIS is probably why they're doing it now. This bloody article from 2 1/2 weeks ago even mentions PokerStars and GP

AUSTRALIAN AND US POLICE TO CRACK DOWN ON ONLINE POKER

The Australian Crime Commission has urged the Federal Government and the Australian Federal Police to start charging poker websites blatantly getting around Australian legislation, by outlawing their services.
Sources close to the matter said the ACCC had told the authorities to "pull their finger out".

The move comes after US authorities last month indicted the founders of the three largest poker websites PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. The FBI co-ordinated with the ACC and AFP as part of the crackdown which also involved fallen Brisbane IT tycoon Daniel Tzvetkoff, who was allegedly processing online poker transactions in the US.

As The Courier-Mail reported last month, several young Queenslanders are making a mint playing poker online sometimes earning up to $750,000 a year tax-free.

Providing online poker, bingo and casino games to Australians can draw fines as high as $1.1 million a day under the Interactive Gambling Act but no organisation has been charged in the decade since the laws were enacted.

This is despite the PokerStars website owning a subsidiary, GP Information Services, in Sydney. The company promotes PokerStars and Australian banks are used to transfer funds overseas.

The rest of the article is here: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/aus...-1226060038148

[shari91]

Damn stupid of PokerStars to own a company here and use our banks to ship money out though. It's like they're flaunting it in the faces of the government. Rocks in their heads.

[ChileCheese]

Damn Chile - THIS is probably why they're doing it now. This bloody article from 2 1/2 weeks ago even mentions PokerStars and GP

AUSTRALIAN AND US POLICE TO CRACK DOWN ON ONLINE POKER

The Australian Crime Commission has urged the Federal Government and the Australian Federal Police to start charging poker websites blatantly getting around Australian legislation, by outlawing their services.
Sources close to the matter said the ACCC had told the authorities to "pull their finger out".

The move comes after US authorities last month indicted the founders of the three largest poker websites PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. The FBI co-ordinated with the ACC and AFP as part of the crackdown which also involved fallen Brisbane IT tycoon Daniel Tzvetkoff, who was allegedly processing online poker transactions in the US.

As The Courier-Mail reported last month, several young Queenslanders are making a mint playing poker online sometimes earning up to $750,000 a year tax-free.

Providing online poker, bingo and casino games to Australians can draw fines as high as $1.1 million a day under the Interactive Gambling Act but no organisation has been charged in the decade since the laws were enacted.

This is despite the PokerStars website owning a subsidiary, GP Information Services, in Sydney. The company promotes PokerStars and Australian banks are used to transfer funds overseas.

The rest of the article is here: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/aus...-1226060038148

I always felt that the asinine laws passed in the US and other countries concerning online gambling were just conservatism run amok... but I am starting to get the feeling recently its is about much more. I think there is more money going back and forth between poker companies and players than anyone can imagine.

[shari91]

I always felt that the asinine laws passed in the US and other countries concerning online gambling were just conservatism run amok... but I am starting to get the feeling recently its is about much more. I think there is more money going back and forth between poker companies and players than anyone can imagine.

I'm starting to think you're right. They can get fined $1 million a day for letting Aussies play at their site yet they not only allow them to, but they buy a company here and use Aussie banks as well????

Either you're making more than enough money here to not even worry about the fines or you're an idiot for having a physical presence in Australia. Can't think of another explanation.

[ronjon619]

greedy bastards.......

[pako74]

All this over POKER???? These governments need to get a clue. So much crazy shit on this world and they go after poker. unreal..

[BeerDog99]

The "free-world" has to wakeup here?? This is freaking nuts.

Keeping gambling illegal or more accurately quasi-legal/illegal is just stupid. People like to gamble, whether it is sports betting, blackjack or poker, the only sane and reasonable thing to do is make it legal, tax and control it.

When that happens, your citizens will be safer from cheating and your government coffers will be added to.

This applies to all "free" countries. Stop trying to mother your citizens and force your morals on them. Let people do what they want when it does not hurt any non-consenting person.

Do what governments should do, protect your citizens from shady operators and help citizens if they have health/mental problems with additiction. Worst case, similar to smoking tobacco, make people live with their own decisions and consequences for their own inability to control their inhibitions.

Also those shady off-shore operators will be forced back onshore and they will not be forced into underhanded money procedures which then completes the self prophetized vicious circle of now they are doing something illegal....


Cheers BeerDog...

[k13]

That's too bad, australians are huge fish.

[nomeansno]

Damn I really hope this isn't the start of something bigger. That would suck

[bracerman]

That's too bad, australians are huge fish.

[ChileCheese]

The "free-world" has to wakeup here?? This is freaking nuts.

Keeping gambling illegal or more accurately quasi-legal/illegal is just stupid. People like to gamble, whether it is sports betting, blackjack or poker, the only sane and reasonable thing to do is make it legal, tax and control it.

When that happens, your citizens will be safer from cheating and your government coffers will be added to.

This applies to all "free" countries. Stop trying to mother your citizens and force your morals on them. Let people do what they want when it does not hurt any non-consenting person.

Do what governments should do, protect your citizens from shady operators and help citizens if they have health/mental problems with additiction. Worst case, similar to smoking tobacco, make people live with their own decisions and consequences for their own inability to control their inhibitions.

Also those shady off-shore operators will be forced back onshore and they will not be forced into underhanded money procedures which then completes the self prophetized vicious circle of now they are doing something illegal....


Cheers BeerDog...

They have nothing against gambling. No Western country does.
They simply want you gambling in their own state run lotteries or casinos or what have you.

[marcojuiceman]

well pokerstars time for you to say bye bye. Rule #1 never play on Full Tilt Or Absolute Poker again. They dont Pay

[BeerDog99]

They have nothing against gambling. No Western country does.
They simply want you gambling in their own state run lotteries or casinos or what have you.

Hey Bud.

I respectfully disagree on that.

If that were the case, they would be working to bring it in house(state) by legalizing it, regulating and taxing it.

Then once that was done, they would give them tax breaks and incentives to bring jobs to the their respective states.

Just like any other legal business entity does.

Cheers.

[ChileCheese]

Hey Bud.

I respectfully disagree on that.

If that were the case, they would be working to bring it in house(state) by legalizing it, regulating and taxing it.

Then once that was done, they would give them tax breaks and incentives to bring jobs to the their respective states.

Just like any other legal business entity does.

Cheers.

America is well on its way to having licensed online gambling
I am sure MGMPOKER.COM or WYNNCASINO.COM is not that far away.

But my point is... the US, Canada, AUS, etc... they dont hate poker... they have poker in all their casinos. And Governments love casinos from a taxation point of view.
A) Brings in great revenue
B) Helps get back money lost on those welfare cheques