Western Australia’s lottery proposal could penalise players

Legislation to protect the Western Australian provincial lottery Lotterywest from competition from “synthetic” lottery operators like Lottoland (see previous report earlier today) has reportedly been introduced to the provincial parliament and includes wide-ranging enforcement powers for the provincial Gaming and Wagering Commission…and provision for fining WA residents up tp A$2,500 for transacting with such secondary lottery operators.

WA Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia told regional media that the legislation will beef up the regulatory powers of the Gaming and Wagering Commission, including the authority “…to act in the event of some other unforeseen disruptive betting process coming onto the market; they can just outlaw it immediately.”

In an initial reaction to the legislative proposal, Lottoland Australia chief executive Luke Brill reiterated an earlier position statement when he said that his company was law-abiding and would seek through innovation to change its business model in order to remain compliant with provincial and federal law (the federal ban on secondary lotteries is effective from early next year).

Interestingly, the new proposals also legislate against sports betting companies holding licenses from non-WA sources setting up retail outlets anywhere in Western Australia that link to corporate sports wagering websites.

It’s a move apparently designed to target a majority of Aussie sports betting operators who take advantage of the Northern Territory jurisdiction’s more operator-friendly fees and regulations.

Related and similar