AFL Wants Change
 
The Australian Football League is using the English Premier League as an example and demanding a change in the way that online casinos and internet gambling websites accept their bets. The example that they are following is that of the English Premier League who recently changed their laws to not allow an online casino player to be able to place a bet while a game is in progress. That seems like a pretty simple rule, right? Players of the online casino and internet gambling world have been able to bet on the highest scorer, margins, winner and looser during the game. Before the change of law over 75 percent of the wagers that were placed on the English Premier League were placed while games were in progress. Eliminating this would level the playing field for all people who want to wager online.

The current legislation in Australia prevents land based operators from being able to take bets once the game has begun. There have been people that think that changing the law will increase problem gambling, but the Rudd Government is still open to changing the laws. Currently in Australia, Betfair has estimated that there are several local restrictions that have caused online casinos and the online casinoindustry over $300 million due to overseas operators. The AFL has filed their official documents to the Australian Federal Government and those changes would apply to the Interactive Gambling Act.

The online casino and internet gambling document reads: "In-play betting is extremely popular worldwide as a form of gambling, and if consumers are not able to access it online in Australia, they might elsewhere with overseas operators," "It seems inconsistent that a consumer can bet 'in-play' via telephone but not online. "Specifically, the AFL would like to suggest amendments to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, such that betting online during sports events, or after an event has commenced, is no longer prohibited." The AFL has said that they have lost money due to the fact that they cannot compete with the overseas online casinos. According to an AFL spokesperson, Brian Walsh, "If the prohibition continues, it will encourage Australians to gamble with unregulated and unauthorised offshore operators, which will hinder the AFL's integrity measures and ability to monitor wagering on our game."