Clubs Australia, which represents the interests of Australia’s vast clubs industry, has formed an international alliance with the American Gaming Association in an effort to tackle unregulated online gambling.
The two will collaborate to raise awareness of the risks of illegal gambling websites and work on measures to prevent their spread.
It is estimated that US and Australian residents spend $4bn and $1.2bn, respectively, each year on illegal overseas gambling sites.
“The proliferation of illegal online gambling is a scourge that needs to be tackled by governments worldwide, in association with legal and regulated gaming operators, said Clubs Australia executive director Anthony Ball. “Put simply, these sites are unethical and unsafe. There are no age verification checks, no harm-minimisation measures and the revenue they generate goes to offshore tax havens – not back to the community.”
AGA senior vice president of public affairs Sara Rayme said the new partnership with Clubs Australia will help “shine a spotlight on shady outfits” that do not create jobs, contribute tax revenue or protect players.
