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he even upset the evil government 
KERRY Packer has thumbed his nose at Australia's Federal Government, revealing last night plans to set up a Tasmanian-based Internet gambling site.
Packer's move comes just days after the Howard Government announced plans to impose a 12 month moratorium on Internet gaming.
The billionaire businessman has taken advantage of the Tasmanian Government's willingness to offer online casino licences and appears to have beaten the Federal Government's proposed moratorium.
The Tasmanian Gaming Commission has awarded Packer a five-year online gaming licence which commences from May 15.
Acting communications minister Peter McGauran, in announcing the Federal Government would introduce legislation for a moratorium, said last week the moratorium on new licences would come into force from May 19.
In a statement lodged with the Australian Stock Exchange last night, two Packer-controlled companies - Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd (PBL) and ecorp - said they would form a joint venture "to build a global online gaming enterprise''.
Publishing & Broadcasting contains top rating television business the Nine Network, leading magazine publisher Australian Consolidated Press and Melbourne's Crown Casino.
Ecorp is the Packer family's Internet company. Ecorp in the past 12 months has rapidly built up its portfolio of online businesses and an Internet gambling site has been widely speculated by media analysts .
PBL and ecorp said they will focus exclusively on the international market, with Australian gamblers banned from the site.
"Australian residents will not be permitted to gamble on the site,'' the companies said.
"Furthermore, residents from jurisdictions where online gambling is prohibited will also be excluded.''
The companies also stressed security would be a feature of the new Internet gambling business.
"The company will enforce the highest level of security and player protection possible and will provide a range of features designed to encourage responsible gambling,'' PBL and ecorp said.
Security features include: exclusion of minors; self-exclusion; third party exclusion; bet limits; loss limits; maximum number of bets; time limits.
The companies said further information about the business will be provided "at a later date''.
Victorian-based gaming company Tabcorp also announced yesterday it had been granted a Tasmanian gaming licence by the Tasmanian Gaming Commission.
The licence will, subject to specified criteria being met, permit its subsidiary Tabcorp Online, to conduct simulated casino games from Tasmania on the Internet.
"Tabcorp's reputation as a leader in gaming and entertainment as well as the strict regulatory environment in which it will operate are expected to give Tabcorp a significant advantage over the hundreds of existing offshore gaming sites,'' Tabcorp chief executive officer and managing director Ross Wilson said.
"Tabcorp will also be assisted by its brand names (particularly Star City Casino), which have achieved a high level of recognition both here and overseas.''
KERRY Packer has thumbed his nose at Australia's Federal Government, revealing last night plans to set up a Tasmanian-based Internet gambling site.
Packer's move comes just days after the Howard Government announced plans to impose a 12 month moratorium on Internet gaming.
The billionaire businessman has taken advantage of the Tasmanian Government's willingness to offer online casino licences and appears to have beaten the Federal Government's proposed moratorium.
The Tasmanian Gaming Commission has awarded Packer a five-year online gaming licence which commences from May 15.
Acting communications minister Peter McGauran, in announcing the Federal Government would introduce legislation for a moratorium, said last week the moratorium on new licences would come into force from May 19.
In a statement lodged with the Australian Stock Exchange last night, two Packer-controlled companies - Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd (PBL) and ecorp - said they would form a joint venture "to build a global online gaming enterprise''.
Publishing & Broadcasting contains top rating television business the Nine Network, leading magazine publisher Australian Consolidated Press and Melbourne's Crown Casino.
Ecorp is the Packer family's Internet company. Ecorp in the past 12 months has rapidly built up its portfolio of online businesses and an Internet gambling site has been widely speculated by media analysts .
PBL and ecorp said they will focus exclusively on the international market, with Australian gamblers banned from the site.
"Australian residents will not be permitted to gamble on the site,'' the companies said.
"Furthermore, residents from jurisdictions where online gambling is prohibited will also be excluded.''
The companies also stressed security would be a feature of the new Internet gambling business.
"The company will enforce the highest level of security and player protection possible and will provide a range of features designed to encourage responsible gambling,'' PBL and ecorp said.
Security features include: exclusion of minors; self-exclusion; third party exclusion; bet limits; loss limits; maximum number of bets; time limits.
The companies said further information about the business will be provided "at a later date''.
Victorian-based gaming company Tabcorp also announced yesterday it had been granted a Tasmanian gaming licence by the Tasmanian Gaming Commission.
The licence will, subject to specified criteria being met, permit its subsidiary Tabcorp Online, to conduct simulated casino games from Tasmania on the Internet.
"Tabcorp's reputation as a leader in gaming and entertainment as well as the strict regulatory environment in which it will operate are expected to give Tabcorp a significant advantage over the hundreds of existing offshore gaming sites,'' Tabcorp chief executive officer and managing director Ross Wilson said.
"Tabcorp will also be assisted by its brand names (particularly Star City Casino), which have achieved a high level of recognition both here and overseas.''