Staying Competitive for Online Casino Sites
The Australian online casino gambling and betting industry is facing rapid
changes this month as the various Australian states and territories aggressively
alter existing gambling regulations in a move to compete with the new policies
that have come into effect in Tasmania. The Tasmanian government made a bold
move to cut the tax legislation from the licensing process of online casinos and
instead charge a maximum annual fee to the gambling companies. In response to
Tasmania’s policy, the Northern Territory of Australia has announced a plan to
cut the existing taxes that bookies pay to the Northern Territory government to
offer land and online casino bookmaking services.
The Northern Territory government, along with all of the other Australian
states, are worried that the new Tasmanian laws are going to cause land and
online casino gambling companies to exit the state markets and head to Tasmania
for the more favorable legislation.
The bookmakers make up the majority of the gambling marketing in Australia right
now and the new Northern Territory policies are designed to keep bookmakers
operating locally. Locally operating bookmakers means more jobs in the region
and money flowing back into the community rather than gambling funds entirely
leaving the region. Even though Tasmania is not far, the Australian bookmakers
are concerned that the close proximity will easily invite online casinos and
bookmakers to switch to the more favorable licensing jurisdiction.
The new tax cap in the Northern Territory is a bold counter-move by the state
government and a direct response to the new Tasmanian online casino gambling
policies. There is every likelihood that Queensland and other Australian states
will have to follow suit with similar tax changes if they hope to keep companies
from shifting the businesses to Tasmania. |