Quote:
Originally Posted by <"))))><
I'm a close relative of the CEO of Clubs Australia and we've had plenty of chats about all this stuff. Not saying Clubs don't have a position on online poker but I'm not overly concerned about the whole situation.
Well you should ask him why in a submission on changes to the IGA, Clubs argued the following:
“
There remains a concern that moves to legalise the remaining online segment would provide online gambling with a sense of legitimacy, resulting in increased participation in online gambling activities and problem gambling prevalence levels.”
But look, this is sort of missing the point. Clubs aren't the issue here, as they aren't running hard on this. The only point i'd make about lobbying is that banning casino gaming will be popular with the public and there will be no high-profile, organised campaign against the ban.
The issue is that Abbott is a conservative catholic, whose personal philosophy is not particularly at ease about gambling. His party, a week before the election, specifically said they were going to enforce the IGA, and even singled out poker.
The Greens and Xenophon are both opposed to online casino gambling, including poker.
The most likely outcome of the election is a Liberal victory, with either Greens or Xenophon holding the balance of power in the senate. This is the problem.
The best ally poker players have now in Australia is indifference. The hope that as this is not a high-order issue, we'll stay under the radar. That's my hope.