Aussie government to worsen problem gambling if a deal with Curacao means its licensing authority bans casinos from accepting Aussie players. (Image by icetrayimages794410 on Vecteezy)
In Australia, the local authorities are making headway with the Curacao government. For years, the Aussie government has been pleading with the Curacao licensing authority to ban its casinos from accepting Australian players. Now, it seems Australia is close to getting Curacao to force its casinos to stop accepting Aussie players.
It is safe to say that until now, the pleas by the Australian government have been ignored as we have seen a rise in online casinos accepting Australian Dollars.
Yet, in recent news reports floating around the online gambling grapevine, the Aussie government finally has the Curacao licensing authority’s ears. If that is the case, the country is on the edge of a deal that will see all Curacao casinos forced to cease accepting players from Australia. This is bad news for many casinos and affiliates and bad news for those who want to play casino games online.
Now, from my point of view, Curacao ignoring the Aussie government is a good thing. I have never made it a secret that governments banning online casinos are the cause of gambling addiction issues. People will find a way to gamble no matter what bans the government issues. At least with the Curacao licensing authority, players get some protection. However, the Curacao licensing authority has also come under some scrutiny, which has not helped.
The danger of more online casinos without licensing
The Aussie government seems hell-bent on targeting licensing authorities that allow their casinos to accept Aussie players, which means there is only one end result. That is the rise of online casinos with no licensing at all. And guess what? Aussie players ‘WILL‘ find these casinos and take the risk of signing up and playing despite having no legal protection. These casinos come with no business address and no rules to follow. They can offer fake games with 50% RTPs and refuse to process withdrawals for big wins or suspend accounts with no authority to answer for their unfair practices.
Right now, casinos with no licensing are just sitting on the side lines waiting for the Curacao Aussie player ban to come along. Even better for them, they do not need to go through the expense of applying for licensing with the Curacao licensing authority, which is currently the last hope and go-to authority for Aussie players.
Governments Banning Online Casinos Create Gambling Addiction Issues
Perhaps the worst move made by Australia was to allow online sports books but ban online casinos. As soon as this ban came in, the government lost control over problem gambling issues. Rather than creating a domestic licensing authority as the country did with online sports betting, the choice was to exclude online casinos altogether. Yet, this approach has only put online casino gaming out of the government’s reach. So much so, I guarantee you that not one government department in the country could tell you the real extent of the country’s overseas online casino gaming expenditure. They can guess, but they will never be able to put a number on it.
Today, online casino operating under the Curacao licensing authority are seen as illegal or black market establishments. Read on to find out why Curacao casinos became the Aussie player’s licensing authority of choice.
Mistake number two – Banning players from signing up to MGA casinos
The second mistake the Aussie government made is when it made a deal with the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). The MGA obliged the request the Aussie government after it ban online casinos by forcing all establishments under the MGA licensing framework to cease accepting Aussie citizens on their platforms. Now through the MGA, the Aussie government would have been able to get all the stats it needed to create a domestic online casino licensing framework. However, instead of being patient and tackling the issue using logic, the Aussie government just dived into unknown territory.
Since then, casinos operating under the Curacao licensing authority have taken full advantage of the Aussie government’s deal with the MGA by offering Aussie players crypto and AUD online casino gaming platforms.
Will the Curacao ban make any difference?
No it will not. If only the Australian government will listen to my years of wisdom in gambling. They don’t see the growing black market as a sign that no matter what happens, Aussie casino game players will find a way to gamble online. Failure to listen is the underlying problem with the Australian government here. If there is a ban on Curacao casinos next, it is reasonable to assume no one in the government understands how gambling works.
The other theory is that government bigwigs are listening to the wrong people and ignoring the facts. No surprise here. A government follows the narrative it wants to follow regardless of the facts.
Finding casinos that accept Aussie players is a simple process
Most Aussies believe in their right to exercise freedom of choice. As a result, if an Aussie citizen wants to play online casino games, they will find online casinos overseas whether operating under licensing or not.
If the Curacao licensing authority bans its online casinos from accepting Aussie players, casinos with no licencing will thrive. It is as simple as this. Regardless of whether the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) bans them from Aussie ISPs. We are talking about a tech savvy generation that can get around ACMA bans. I mean that just goes to show how unattached those making these decisions within the Aussie government are.
Here’s how easy it is for Aussie players to find online casinos overseas:
- Players will use a VPN and use a popular search engine to find ‘online casinos that accept players from Australia’.
- The list of casinos with no licensing will appear as well as affiliate websites making comparisons.
- Players will sign up using crypto or AUD.
The process is so easy anyone can get around the bans in Australia and put themselves and their money at risk. The bottom line is, if they want to play online casino games, they will find a way. And in the end, the Aussie government will continue to lose control and create a thriving online casino black market with no way of finding out just how much the industry is worth. The only real solution is to create a domestic online casino licensing authority and follow the example of the UK Gambling Commission if they want strict laws in place and limits on slot game bet sizes and features.
In the end, there will be casinos with no licensing that have a business model in mind that is based on reputation. Not all these casinos will be out to scam players. There will be a new competitive array of casinos that will look to offer honest services. Word will spread, and these casinos will thrive, along Australia’s problem gambling issue.
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