Grant: Bookies not enthusiastic about new measure
Disgruntled gamblers in New South Wales, your voices have been heard. According to iGamingbusiness.com, the state government implemented new guidelines for bookies last fall after hearing from punters that their accounts were restricted or even suspended after a series of winning bets.
According to the new guidelines, betting companies are required to accept any wagers that pay out AU$1,000 ($US810) or less. For larger bookmakers, the minimum bet limit will be as much as AU$2,000 ($US405).
NSW Gaming Minister Troy Grant observed that some online bookies have “refused to express unqualified support for the new minimum bet rules.”
“It is not fair to have wagering operators profit from punter losses but then bar or restrict successful punters in the amount they can wager on any one bet,” he said. “This is the same rule that applies to on-course bookies and maintains the integrity of thoroughbred racing.”
According to the Guardian newspaper, online bookmaker Sportsbet successfully defended its right to refuse some bets in a Victorian civil tribunal in December 2013.
In related news, adults in Australia spend an average of AU$17.52 a week (just over $US14) gambling online, a report by H2 Gambling Capital has found. According to intergameonline.com, the research also shows more men play online; males comprise between 62 percent and 77 percent of virtual players. Sixty percent of survey respondents said they play online through international companies; 54 percent hold one account with a single operator.
