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The following is an article about how alluring internet gaming licenses can be...
My problem is that it would not allow the citizens of Norfolk Island (or OZ & NZ as well) to access
the online casino... That is bogus.
If you want fools from everywhere else in the world to dump their unwanted cash - surely you cannot be bias against your own citizens!!!
FF
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The Sydney Morning Herald - Ben Hills
The tiny territory of Norfolk Island has mutinied against the Federal Government and secretly issued an Internet gaming licence to a United States corporation it hopes will generate $2.5 billion worth of virtual betting from gamblers around the world.
Ignoring a plea by the Communications Minister, Senator Alston - who flew to the island for talks with the Government a fortnight ago - details of the licence for a "virtual casino" are due to be announced in the territory's Parliament today.
Senator Alston has said that the Federal Government, which is alarmed at the social consequences of Australia's gambling boom, would legislate for a moratorium on all new forms of gaming from May 19. Only Lasseter's casino in the Northern Territory already has on-line gaming.
However, without making any announcement, the Norfolk Island Gaming Authority, headed by a retired NSW Appeals Court judge, Mr John Clarke, granted an Internet gaming licence on March 29 to uBET.com, a subsidiary of the Nasdaq-listed Silicon Gaming Inc.
Norfolk Island's Gaming Minister, Mr Geoff Gardner, told the Herald the virtual casino could be up and running within six months, and the 4 per cent turnover tax could generate revenue for the island "which some people have estimated at $100 to $150 million a year".
This would be more than 10 times the annual budget of the Pacific island, 1,676 kilometres north-east of Sydney.
Mr Gardner said that even if the licence generated only $100,000 a year - plus a $50,000 non-refundable deposit which has already been paid - "that will be money we can use".
The Commonwealth Grants Commission recently estimated $85million was needed to bring the island's roads, hospital and other infrastructure up to the standards of the rest of Australia.
Mr Gardner said the Internet betting operation would be regulated to "world's best practice" to prevent problem gamblers accessing the site. It would also be blocked to residents of Australia - including Norfolk Island - and New Zealand
Senator Alston and the Territories Minister, Senator Ian Macdonald, flew to Norfolk Island on June 9 for talks at which Senator Alston "outlined the Commonwealth's concern about the growth of problem gambling in Australia" and insisted the moratorium would apply to Norfolk Island.
His spokesman said yesterday that "they can issue all the licences they like; it will not be possible for them to legally operate the service". He declined to say how the Federal Government would stop the net-betting operation, or what sanctions could be imposed if Norfolk Island went ahead with its plans.
Asked whether the plan could lead to a constitutional confrontation between Australia and its tiny territory, Senator Alston's spokesman said: "If someone wants to waste their money on a constitutional challenge to the Government's authority to regulate telecommunications, let them."
In addition to the Internet betting licence, the Gaming Authority has issued two bookmakers' licences which will allow telephone or Internet gambling on races and games. One was issued to uBET, and the second to Worldwide Totalisators Pty Ltd, a Queensland company whose agent on Norfolk Island is a local entrepreneur, Mr Mike King.
The authority had provisionally issued one more Internet betting licence, and was in the process of checking the bona fides of five more applicants, said the authority's director of gaming, retired Queensland Government Treasury official Mr Kevin Leyshon.
He said the authority had spent eight months conducting probity checks on Silicon Gaming Inc using the Australian Federal Police and records from the Nevada gaming authorities which had issued the company with a slot-machine-manufacturing licence.
"We are quite satisfied that they are a reputable company and have the financial resources and the know-how to make this a successful operation," he said.
The island is best-known as a tax haven and destination for about 38,000 Australian and New Zealand tourists a year. Its only other sources of revenue over the years have been the export of guavas and palm nuts. It also made an abortive attempt to export repackaged duty-free cigarettes to Australia.
My problem is that it would not allow the citizens of Norfolk Island (or OZ & NZ as well) to access
the online casino... That is bogus.
If you want fools from everywhere else in the world to dump their unwanted cash - surely you cannot be bias against your own citizens!!!
FF
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Norfolk mutiny: net bets on way
The Sydney Morning Herald - Ben Hills
The tiny territory of Norfolk Island has mutinied against the Federal Government and secretly issued an Internet gaming licence to a United States corporation it hopes will generate $2.5 billion worth of virtual betting from gamblers around the world.
Ignoring a plea by the Communications Minister, Senator Alston - who flew to the island for talks with the Government a fortnight ago - details of the licence for a "virtual casino" are due to be announced in the territory's Parliament today.
Senator Alston has said that the Federal Government, which is alarmed at the social consequences of Australia's gambling boom, would legislate for a moratorium on all new forms of gaming from May 19. Only Lasseter's casino in the Northern Territory already has on-line gaming.
However, without making any announcement, the Norfolk Island Gaming Authority, headed by a retired NSW Appeals Court judge, Mr John Clarke, granted an Internet gaming licence on March 29 to uBET.com, a subsidiary of the Nasdaq-listed Silicon Gaming Inc.
Norfolk Island's Gaming Minister, Mr Geoff Gardner, told the Herald the virtual casino could be up and running within six months, and the 4 per cent turnover tax could generate revenue for the island "which some people have estimated at $100 to $150 million a year".
This would be more than 10 times the annual budget of the Pacific island, 1,676 kilometres north-east of Sydney.
Mr Gardner said that even if the licence generated only $100,000 a year - plus a $50,000 non-refundable deposit which has already been paid - "that will be money we can use".
The Commonwealth Grants Commission recently estimated $85million was needed to bring the island's roads, hospital and other infrastructure up to the standards of the rest of Australia.
Mr Gardner said the Internet betting operation would be regulated to "world's best practice" to prevent problem gamblers accessing the site. It would also be blocked to residents of Australia - including Norfolk Island - and New Zealand
Senator Alston and the Territories Minister, Senator Ian Macdonald, flew to Norfolk Island on June 9 for talks at which Senator Alston "outlined the Commonwealth's concern about the growth of problem gambling in Australia" and insisted the moratorium would apply to Norfolk Island.
His spokesman said yesterday that "they can issue all the licences they like; it will not be possible for them to legally operate the service". He declined to say how the Federal Government would stop the net-betting operation, or what sanctions could be imposed if Norfolk Island went ahead with its plans.
Asked whether the plan could lead to a constitutional confrontation between Australia and its tiny territory, Senator Alston's spokesman said: "If someone wants to waste their money on a constitutional challenge to the Government's authority to regulate telecommunications, let them."
In addition to the Internet betting licence, the Gaming Authority has issued two bookmakers' licences which will allow telephone or Internet gambling on races and games. One was issued to uBET, and the second to Worldwide Totalisators Pty Ltd, a Queensland company whose agent on Norfolk Island is a local entrepreneur, Mr Mike King.
The authority had provisionally issued one more Internet betting licence, and was in the process of checking the bona fides of five more applicants, said the authority's director of gaming, retired Queensland Government Treasury official Mr Kevin Leyshon.
He said the authority had spent eight months conducting probity checks on Silicon Gaming Inc using the Australian Federal Police and records from the Nevada gaming authorities which had issued the company with a slot-machine-manufacturing licence.
"We are quite satisfied that they are a reputable company and have the financial resources and the know-how to make this a successful operation," he said.
The island is best-known as a tax haven and destination for about 38,000 Australian and New Zealand tourists a year. Its only other sources of revenue over the years have been the export of guavas and palm nuts. It also made an abortive attempt to export repackaged duty-free cigarettes to Australia.
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