Australia government mulls in-play betting U-turn

The Australian government is reconsidering its ban on in-play betting following the publication of a wide-ranging report on sports integrity, according to local news outlets.

The Sydney Morning Herald said live betting was “back in play” in the country, adding that Federal Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie was “considering the findings” of the report and privately supported its findings.

The report, commissioned last year by the government, aimed to examine threats to the integrity of Australian sports and associated laws and regulations.

The study found that the current prohibition on in-play betting, reinforced by the 2017 amendments to the Interactive Gambling Act, was pushing punters to offshore operators, thus endangering integrity and reducing returns to the sports themselves.

The report also calls for lower taxes to help licenced operators compete with offshore rivals.

While McKenzie has reportedly expressed support for the review’s recommendation, other members of the Coalition front bench “appear to be firmly opposed,” according to the SMH

Tabcorp is also expected to formally oppose in-play wagering, while the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) was also recently granted new powers to tackle offshore sites.

“Over the last 18 months we have seen 16 of the most popular offshore wagering [sites] and 32 of the most popular gaming and poker sites shut down,” ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said in a recent speech.