The London listed online gambling site, 32Red Casino, powered by software provider, Microgaming, has announced that it will no longer be operating in Australia’s industry. The news comes after the federal government Down Under approved controversial amendments to the country’s existing online gambling laws.
32Red and its associated brands may no longer accept players in Australia, according TTRpartners, the program that promotes the legendary online casino. As of this week, no new registrations from players in the country will be accepted.
32Red becomes the latest of several gambling bands to announce its intention to leave the local market. It follows in the footsteps of groups such as 888Poker and Vera&John online casino who have already said that they will not be marketing in Australia. Poker Stars is another big name that said that once the government approved the suggested amendments, it will withdraw from the market.
The Australian Senate last month approved the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016. Among other things, the bill bans all interactive gaming activities that are not specifically authorized within Australian legislation. There were last minute attempts to create a carveout bill for online poker, with lawmakers arguing that it constitutes a game of skill and not a game of chance, however they were not successful in their efforts.
The government said that the IGA was passed to protect Australian citizens from the “potentially harmful effects of online gambling”.
