New Australia Gambling Laws claim First Victim, Vera&John

For well over a decade, due to ambiguous Australia online gambling laws, international casino operators have been accessing the Australian market with no genuine threat of recourse. Now, with new laws inevitably set to formally prohibit Australia online casinos, the industry’s first victim has been claimed.

Popular UK-based iGaming operator Vera&John has announced that it will be pulling its online casino services from the Australian market sometime before the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve. The news was delivered via an email to the company’s Aussie punters.

Vera&John has yet to confirm the move on its website, but based on the information provided to customers just days before Christmas, the company will almost certainly be the first to officially pull its services from the region.

An excerpt from the email states:

“We’re always sorry to say goodbye, but the time has come. Due to a business decision, Vera&John will no longer be able to offer its services in your jurisdiction. Your account will officially be closed in one week.

“As of today, you will no longer be able to make deposits to your Vera&John account. Any funds which have not already been removed from your account can still be transferred to your preferred payment provider within the next week.”

No specific date was provided when Vera&John customers from Australia will lose access to the website, but it will take place before the the year is out. Alternative withdrawal options following the exit weren’t provided either.

Australia Online Gambling Laws Working

That “business decision” was undoubtedly based on a proposed amendment to Australia online gambling laws that will put the final nail in the coffin of offshore operators that aren’t authorized to accept Aussies.

The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 made it illegal for international operators to accept Australians. However, there were no predefined penalties, or government bodies to issue them, thus the country had no real power to enforce those laws.

The new amendment provides both of those missing factors, and has clearly made an impact on the international online casino and poker industry. PokerStars, 888 and PartyPoker have already vowed to exit the region if/when the new law goes into effect. Vera&John just happens to be the first to take tangible action.

Beginning Of An Australian Exodus

Experts are predicting the evacuation of Vera&John from the Australia online casino market will be the first in a mass exodus to come. There’s little doubt that the amendment to Australia online gambling laws will pass. The only real question is when it will be enacted.

The companies listed above stated that they will exit the market on the effective date of the new law. Any operator that wishes to remain a part of the region’s iGaming industry will have to apply for an official licence, at which time they will be obligated to comply with the gambling laws of Australia.

Those laws state that only sports betting and horse racing is legal via digital services, and that in-play betting is not permitted. Thus licenced operators will not be able to provide pokies or other casino games, or interactive poker games.

The majority of companies currently accessing Australia from overseas rely heavily on casino and poker games to turn a profit. It would hardly be worth their efforts to apply for a racing and sports betting licence, when that market is already well established and highly competitive in the region.