Rupert gets off on a technicality
Anti-gaming groups in New South Wales are on the warpath after learning that limits on betting ads in the Australian state will not be applied to billionaire Rupert Murdoch and his gaming sites.
According to Legal Gambling and the Law, the groups pushed for the limits as a way to stem gambling addiction. They had complained that online casinos were luring players with fresh spins, free cash and other incentives to get them to create accounts and start playing for real money.
Late last year, the NSW government passed legislation barring iGaming operators from offering free bonuses in exchange for sign-ups; the new rule included an AU$55,000 (US$40,600) fine for violations.
But it looks like the new law will not apply to sites run by Murdoch. According to guidelines from Liquor and Gambling NSW, the agreement cannot be enforced on ads and promotions that deal with racing content. That means News Corp. Australia, one of Murdoch’s companies and owner of Punters.com.au, will still be allowed to offer freebies.
In a statement, Stephen Mayne, spokesperson for the Alliance for Gambling Reform said, “The Murdoch interests have a long history of profiting from the gambling industry and prevailing on governments for regulatory favors, so the carve-out from the NSW ban on inducements for News Corp.’s Punters.com.au business is disappointing but comes as no surprise.”
New South Wales is one of the gamblingest jurisdictions in the world with more than AU$7 billion (US$5.17 billion) a year lost on pokies alone.
