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INTERNET gambling companies will face fines of $1.1 million a day if they take bets from within Australia under the federal government's proposed on-line gambling crackdown.
Laws tabled in parliament today will make it an offence for Australian-based virtual casinos and sports and race betting agencies to operate within the country.
But they will still be able to take bets from offshore and Australians will be legally allowed to gamble offshore, although a complaints regime will allow voluntary filtering of overseas sites.
Communications Minister Richard Alston said there were already countless ways to lose money gambling and Australia did not need any more.
He said the Government was particularly concerned on-line gambling might attract a new and younger market among the Internet generation.
"Today's young Australians are accustomed to spending significant amounts of time playing computer games and using the Internet and other new technologies and this makes them particularly susceptible to these new forms of gambling," Senator Alston told parliament.
One of the main criticisms of the proposed ban has been its extension to Internet sports and race betting, which is exempt from the present freeze.
Explanatory notes tabled with the Bill acknowledge the impact on regional jobs, particularly in the racing industry.
"The recommended option would have some impact on employment in regional Australia, to the extent that elements of the interactive gambling industry most severely impacted by the restrictions may be located in regional Australia," the notes said.
"These include interactive wagering and lottery providers."
The timing of the legislation will also create uncertainty for the industry, since it will not be debated until late May at the earliest, and certainly after the moratorium runs out on May 19.
Greens senator Bob Brown and Australian Democrats Lyn Allison and John Woodley, who supported the freeze, have signalled concerns with the proposal and may seek amendments.
The Government said the ban on local customers would come into effect one month after it was officially passed, and the complaints regime five months later.
Laws tabled in parliament today will make it an offence for Australian-based virtual casinos and sports and race betting agencies to operate within the country.
But they will still be able to take bets from offshore and Australians will be legally allowed to gamble offshore, although a complaints regime will allow voluntary filtering of overseas sites.
Communications Minister Richard Alston said there were already countless ways to lose money gambling and Australia did not need any more.
He said the Government was particularly concerned on-line gambling might attract a new and younger market among the Internet generation.
"Today's young Australians are accustomed to spending significant amounts of time playing computer games and using the Internet and other new technologies and this makes them particularly susceptible to these new forms of gambling," Senator Alston told parliament.
One of the main criticisms of the proposed ban has been its extension to Internet sports and race betting, which is exempt from the present freeze.
Explanatory notes tabled with the Bill acknowledge the impact on regional jobs, particularly in the racing industry.
"The recommended option would have some impact on employment in regional Australia, to the extent that elements of the interactive gambling industry most severely impacted by the restrictions may be located in regional Australia," the notes said.
"These include interactive wagering and lottery providers."
The timing of the legislation will also create uncertainty for the industry, since it will not be debated until late May at the earliest, and certainly after the moratorium runs out on May 19.
Greens senator Bob Brown and Australian Democrats Lyn Allison and John Woodley, who supported the freeze, have signalled concerns with the proposal and may seek amendments.
The Government said the ban on local customers would come into effect one month after it was officially passed, and the complaints regime five months later.
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