Some of them not totally opposed to gambling but against online expansion
The Federal Opposition has teamed up with anti-gambling Senator Nick Xenophon having heard the industry buzz around the Australian Government's review on its Interactive Gambling Act.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbot and Xenophon have promised in a joint press conference to block all attempts in relaxing online gambling restrictions. "If it goes ahead every computer is a casino, every smart phone is a poker game; it is a dark cave into which people can so easily retreat and there they are beyond help," said Abbot adding: "Nick and I don't see eye to eye on every aspect of the gambling issue, but we are very much united in opposing this latest recommendation from the Government."
Xenophon opined that the turn around had more to do with revenue gathering than protecting citizens playing on offshore gambling websites, suggesting that the Government should rather blacklist offshore websites and crack down on financial transactions.
Greens Senator Richard Di Natale sharing their views said that particularly in-play betting fosters an interactive gambling experience as opposed to just watching a game of football.
Nevertheless, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded by inviting the protagonists to get involved in the process rather than theorize on the review and grandstand their views.
