The days of gambling been exclusive to heavy punters in traditional land casinos are over. With the rise of worldwide gaming and especially in the mobile casino sector, the chance to play online scratchies is constantly available to us wherever we may find ourselves. It is hard to believe that only a few years ago, the chance to scratch and win £1,000,000 from your own home computer or mobile phone was unthinkable. With modern day online scratch cards this option is not only available but is increasingly becoming the preferred choice of many punters.
Australia is just such a country in which there are moves afoot aimed at clarifying and expanding the current online gambling laws. In a recent report, the Australia government intends on offering players a wider selection of online games as well while at the same time offering them increased protection.
There is a global change in the way Governments around the world are starting to approach online wagering. The reality is that there are millions of people who enjoy a flutter on their internet scratchies or even the chance to buy an online lottery ticket from a different country. By simply banning online scratch cards, many governments are shooting themselves in the foot. Gaming revenues are a vital source of income which no government can turn down in these vexing global economic times we are living in.
As a sports loving country, sports betting is highly popular down under and this would be a major market where online gambling options would be increased to supply the demand. These could include live in-play sports betting and online poker tournaments. The present legal situation is that live in-play sports betting is legal with the condition that it is done via mobile or in person.
Many industry experts point out that there has to be clarification for Australian gambling as the current situation is unclear. At the moment Australian citizens on one hand are permitted to wager on online casino games but it is illegal for companies to offer these services from within Australia to the Ozzies.
The Australian online gambling market is huge and there are estimates that it had grown to a AU$1 billion industry per year. It is also worth noting that his has grown significantly from the AU$790 million in 2008.
The proposed changes in online sports betting will also be significant as it suggests the legalization of live in-play betting which is currently is not legal. Australians are well known for their love of sports and this is clear with over AU$400 million per year spent on sports betting. In fact I doubt there is a place on earth where sport is taken as seriously as the Ozzies do.
Sports betting and scratch cards have a common theme to them in that both while considered gambling have a strong social element to them. Many softer forms of gambling like scratch cards are increasing in popularity due to their user-friendly playing format. It is for this reason that Governments like Australia need to differentiate social gambling like online scratchies from heavier stuff like real casino gambling which some believe has a higher risk of addiction.
This interim report which is set to be considered by the government is said to have one main purpose. With the existing legal situation, the government is losing up to $1 billion in revenues to offshore operators. This massive sum cannot be overlooked by any government. As supporters of legalizing it point out, there is no sense in throwing away billions which could be used to benefit all Australians.
It is encouraging to see that many countries around the world are adopting a more pragmatic and sensible approach to the online gambling issue which is sure to benefit online scratch card devotees as well as other internet gaming players.