Search Engines Break AU Online Gambling Ban? 196
An anonymous reader writes "According to a ZDNet report, authorities in Australia are investigating Google and a few other search engines for possible breach of the country's online gambling laws. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 prohibits advertising of gambling services on Web sites where 'it is likely that the majority of that site's users are physically present in Australia'. Banned services include online casino-style gaming services such as roulette, poker, craps, online poker machines and blackjack. Breaching the Act carries a maximum penalty of AU$220,000 ($168,000) per day for individuals and AU$1.1 million ($843,000) per day for corporations."
This just in... (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously, banning gambling has got to be one of the more evident forms of government paternalism. Business is about evaluating risks and taking them. It just happens that gambling is typically a bad risk.
And sure, some people can be habitual gamblers... but that applies to just about any other activity in life.
If you try and make stupidity illegal, you'll never want for laws.
Re:Simple. (Score:4, Insightful)
Google can toss a set of statistics towards the cops showing the sheer amount of accesses from everywhere _ELSE_ compared to Australia. That overrides the majority requirement, I'd think.
This is probably referring to the Google Australia [google.com.au] site. Still, it's enraging that Australia, or any other country, thinks it's acceptable to infringe on people's fundamental freedom of speech.
Get them on terminology. (Score:4, Insightful)
Certainly, if you type in 'Casinos in Melbourne' you will probably find a lot of adverts at the side of your search - but the ads are usually fairly relevant to what *you* (mr consumer) wanted to find anyway.
Anyone else sick of this stuff? (Score:5, Insightful)
Say Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo got together and cut Australia off for one day with a black screen of "Search Unavailable Today; Contact the Australian the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts for more information".
-- Terry
How can Australia regulate sites not in Australia? (Score:5, Insightful)
If the news article is right (and it's certainly possible it's completely wrong), all that has to be true is that mostly Australians visit the site, and online gambling is advertised. So if I (A US citizen) setup a website that Australians really like, then put advertising for gambling sites on it, I've somehow broken Australian law.
This whole law sounds very fishy. Is Australia going to seek extradition for anyone running a website targeting Australians that advertises gambling (and later on maybe whatever else they don't like)?
To any Australians complaining about how the US wants to extend control of the law beyond our borders I hold up a shiny mirror. To anyone else, maybe your country is next.
Is it just me ? (Score:3, Insightful)
Is it just me or governement imposed bans were meant to be broken ? If im in Australia and i'm an addicted gambler will a ban actually prevent me from gambling ? A ban only makes it harder, but it won't stop the true addicts.
The same has happened before with alchol and OxyContin bans. In the later case, it is relatively easy to get on the street. Is this really helping anyone ? Even the prevention argument seems pretty bleak.
Re:Simple. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:for freedom (Score:1, Insightful)
To many Australians it's also absurd, but since it doesn't impact their daily lives they couldn't be bothered worrying about it.
As for an American finding Australian laws strange, have you seen some of your own laws lately?? ;-)
Re:Simple. (Score:2, Insightful)
Most forms of gambling are legal in Australia. Most of the State Governments run some form of lottery, which raises much revenue (not to mention all the casinos and poker machines).
As far as I know, it is only illegal to run (and advertise) an online gambling site from within Australia. There is a press release at http://www.dcita.gov.au/Article/0,,0_4-2_4008-4_15 618,00.html [dcita.gov.au] from the man once described as the "world's greatest luddite", Richard Alston, the former Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&c2coff=1&q=w orld's+greatest+luddite&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3Dcoun tryAU [google.com.au]
Re:Anyone else sick of this stuff? (Score:3, Insightful)
Whenever Google looses a court ruling the kneejerk reaction is, well Google can just stop indexing Geico and AFP and whoever else speaks against their hegemony. Fortunately Google has more intelligent people behind the wheel who recognise the disasterousness of such a precedent.
Governments will continue to attempt to impose their controls, trying to clench their legislative fist around the internet, in the end they're doomed and our children will learn in history class with amazement that slavery used to exist and people couldn't always vote and fools used to try to cage the internet.
Re:for freedom (Score:5, Insightful)
So what's your point?
For that matter, isn't it absurd that you can't yell fire in a crowded theatre? Oh, that's not freedom of speech, you say? Why not? It's simply wrong to claim that speech isn't regulated in the USA at all - it is, just like everywhere else. Your regulations happen to differ from Australia's, but they're still there.
And finally, what's with the "we should do X to them until they give up and do Y just like we want them to"? How would you feel if an Australian advocated doing the same thing to you? Oh, sure, you might say that you wouldn't care because there's not really any Australian company you're dependent on, but that's evading the issue - think about it. Don't you think that a sovereign democratic nation deserves a bit more respect than that?
Re:How can Australia regulate sites not in Austral (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:How can Australia regulate sites not in Austral (Score:2, Insightful)
He broke no Australian laws, never set foot in the US and is facing extradition.
Re:for freedom (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Simple. (Score:4, Insightful)
The Australian government can talk big and charge Google with hundreds of millions in dollars of fines, but how are they going to collect it? They have no jurisdiction to DO anything.