18/06/2001
Horse racing and overseas operations under consideration
Pressure is increasing on the Australian government to make changes to its online gambling bill. The current bill bans Australian companies from offering Internet gambling to Australian residents but allows them offer it overseas. Now, the racing industry is insisting that horse races be exempt.
The issue is creating a great deal of controversy in the government. New South Wales National Party leader, George Souris, backed the racing industry's call to remove wagering from the Federal Government's Internet gambling bill, expressing the opinion that it had been included by mistake. Democrat Senator Lyn Allison declared her support for the racing industry to be excluded but felt that ?there are moral questions associated with introducing a ban in your own country but allowing operators to make profits from others offshore?.
The bill is due for debate in the Senate next week and Allison's amendments are crucial to the future of the bill since the government needs the support of Democrat and Independent senators in order to pass the bill.
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