Australian affiliate needs advice

[pokerutility]

I'm a female poker player from Australia who recently started in the poker affiliate biz. My question is- with online gambling illegal in Australia am I breaking the law by promoting gambling? and if I do this full-time can I set it up as a business and how should I go about it?
Cheers

[pokeraussie]

The laws are not so black and white with regard to online gambling in Australia. My understanding is it's illegal for companies in Australia to accept deposits for online gambling transactions from Australian players, but its not illegal for Aussies to play on online gambling sites, hence why many poker rooms moved offshore. I am not a lawyer so take my advice with a grain of salt.

[pokerutility]

The laws are not so black and white with regard to online gambling in Australia. My understanding is it's illegal for companies in Australia to accept deposits for online gambling transactions from Australian players, but its not illegal for Aussies to play on online gambling sites, hence why many poker rooms moved offshore. I am not a lawyer so take my advice with a grain of salt.

I just found this at wikipedia-
Australia
On 28 June 2001 the Australian Government passed the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA). The government said that the IGA was important to protect Australians from the harmful effects of gambling.
The IGA targets the providers of interactive gambling services, not their potential or actual customers. The IGA makes it an offence to provide an interactive gambling service to a customer physically present in Australia, but it is not an offence for Australian residents to play poker or casino games online. In stark contrast to the USA, sports betting online is also completely legal in Australia, with many state government licensed sportsbooks in operation, such as Centrebet, Sportingbet & Betfair.
The offence applies to all interactive gambling service providers, whether based in Australia or offshore, whether Australian or foreign owned.

There are alot of poker rooms that will not accept players from Australia- carbon, betfair, virgin to name a few, legally no room is allowed to accept money from Australians but most do as they cannot be prosecuted.

I just want to know if I can get in trouble for promoting online gambling and if I'll be able to set it up as a biz when its technically illegal?

[pokeraussie]

Well technically its not illegal for Aussies to play online. No players have been prosecuted. If the government wanted to make a statement, surely they would go after the poker rooms and not the affiliates.

[checkraise]

My understanding is the same as Pokeraussie's. That it's illegal to run a gambling site (or porn site for that matter) from Australia, but it's not illegal to use them. Basically they're saying they can't control what is on the internet from other countries, but they'll control what content Australians can make.

I've never heard anything against poker promotion in Aus.

[pokerutility]

Ok thanks for the advice

[pokeraussie]

How hypocritical would it be of the government to go after affiliates when they allow gambling advertising, even if its advertising play money sites. Gambling is part of the Australian culture it would be ridiculous for them to do this. Don't know if you know, but Pokerstars now sponsors the Sharks, and Full Tilt sponsors the Roosters in the NRL. In other words, I don't think there is much to worry about it.

Anyway, going to APL now to play some drunky poker with the donks. Drinking makes their horrendous plays more justified LOL.