Pokerstars pulling out of Australian market

thegoldenbear

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Feb 8, 2001
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Email received from 888 poker this morning. Is this a hoax?


Following a business reevaluation, we’d like to inform you that 888poker’s services are not being offered to players residing in Australia and therefore your account will be closed as of 16/01/2017.

You’ll continue to be able to withdraw all funds from your bankroll using our web cashier.

If you’ve already registered to any of our tournaments starting from 16/01/2017 onwards, please unregister as you won’t be able to participate.


Regards,
888poker team
 
Sep 7, 2005
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Email received from 888 poker this morning. Is this a hoax?


Following a business reevaluation, we’d like to inform you that 888poker’s services are not being offered to players residing in Australia and therefore your account will be closed as of 16/01/2017.

You’ll continue to be able to withdraw all funds from your bankroll using our web cashier.

If you’ve already registered to any of our tournaments starting from 16/01/2017 onwards, please unregister as you won’t be able to participate.


Regards,
888poker team

I got the same, although i only ever used 888 for some free tickets etc
 

Fuzzy Happy Poo

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so the IGA (Interactive Gambling Amendment) is going through the senate and the house of representatives and will become law probably within a week, the idea of the bill is to stop the offshore gambling websites from taking advantage of punters in australia. but because it is impossible for online poker sites to get a licence in australia so they will stop offerring services to australians. Senator Leyonhjelm tabled an amendment to exclude online poker in the IGA which was unfortunataly rejected.


however Leyonhjelm believes there is enough doubt in the legislation to indicate a review of the ban on online poker, by sumbitting a commitee inquiry. but it would need a lot of noise from poker players.



anyone wondering your money on pokerstars and party poker is safe and you will still be able to access it to withdraw even after the official ban. though remember to use up the star coins and what ever the loyalty points are called on party poker.
 
Sep 7, 2005
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Stars did send an email about a month ago stating that this may end up the case :(

They said funds will be available to withdraw etc no probs there.

A real shame, and as Mr.KK said, the government has no worries with bookies taking up just about every ad during a sporting contest and having "personalities" spruik the odds, but i can't play a game of skill online for a few $ "for my own protection"

What about the pokies? Mindless button pressing where you are always up against it and we see many of the gambling addictions ruin families. Casinos? House always has the odds in their favour! Yet they are perfectly legal.

But i can't play a game online for a few $. That was the best thing about online Poker. The low stakes allowed an average player like me to have fun for a few hours, all at a very low cost. Now if i want to play, i will have to outlay at least $150 if i want to play $2/$2 at the casino, or maybe $75 for a cheap tourney at the Matchroom.... online i could have a decent night for $20.... in total. Now i will maybe play Poker 2 times a year.... which sucks

So disappointing
 
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Goodo73

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Apr 13, 2009
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******* joke. For my own safety I can't play a $2 tournament once a week but my kids will be bombarded with ads for online bookies when we want to watch footy.
Whenever I hear them add in "remember to gamble responsibly" I always imagine the last word is uttered through gritted teeth.
 
By my little readings, you can jump into americas card room pretty easily.

Can you withdraw easily? I'm no super vpn'n stealth interwebber.
 
Absolute disgrace, gg y'all. Just as a side note, of course this happens when im having easily my most profitable year ever on mtts. :drunk::thumbsu:
 
We at least have this weekend for a final score. No way stars pulls out in the next three days with 10mil gtd in the Sunday Mil. They arent in the business for mass overlays as far as im aware.
 
I would've thought we'd have had communication by now on the planned pull out.....

But silence at their end so far....

From what im hearing they will pull out at the latest date possible (when the bill becomes law) which makes sense given the SCOOP and such is coming up.
 
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matty_boy08

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Feb 24, 2008
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Hey All,

I have access to juicy cash games (PLO/NLHE) which I don't believe will be shut down when the legislation passes.

If you want to know more, just PM me.

Cheers
 

Toothless Feral

Senior List
Jun 22, 2011
218
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PKR has gone broke....... :(

Further to earlier announcements, PKR limited and PKR Technologies Ltd have filed applications to Court for Administration orders, which will be heard in the week commencing 8th May 2017.

Further information will be placed on this website following the hearings.

This information will include contact details for players and creditors to address queries and details of the process.
 

John of all Johns

Team Captain
Oct 23, 2012
323
168
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Hey All,

I have access to juicy cash games (PLO/NLHE) which I don't believe will be shut down when the legislation passes.

If you want to know more, just PM me.

Cheers
Do you mean online? how possible?
Or do you mean live?
I don't mind you PM'n me the details.
Cheers
 

deklares

Premiership Player
Oct 7, 2009
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I would've thought we'd have had communication by now on the planned pull out.....

But silence at their end so far....
Haven't played much the last few years but suddenly get the need to buy in to a few of the SCOOP tournies and go out with a bang..

PokerStars Could Leave Australian Online Poker Market By July
Anti-Poker Legislation Could Be Enacted In Coming Weeks
by Brian Pempus | Published: May 16, 2017 | E-mail Author

The world’s largest poker site could be exiting Australia in a matter of weeks.

During a first quarter earnings call on May 12, Amaya, parent company of PokerStars, said that it is monitoring the Australian situation very closely. For now, PokerStars is still letting Aussies play real-money games, but that could change by July.

“If the current proposed legislation is enacted in Australia, we intend to block players in that market,” said the company’s chief financial officer Daniel Sebag. “We currently estimate that the proposed legislation could be considered in late May, and we would block players in that market approximately 30 days thereafter.”

The country’s parliament approved online gaming rules in late March that if enacted would prohibit citizens from playing on offshore real-money poker platforms.

A 2015 study of online gambling happening in the country recommended closing “loopholes” that allowed Aussies to play web poker. A law dating back to 2001 attempted to prohibit internet casino games, leading to a grey market situation.

The new rules state that online poker companies can’t offer games to Australians unless licensed. But there’s no licensing or regulatory process for online poker like there is for sports betting over the internet in Australia.

Amaya currently offers poker to Australian customers under its Isle of Man global gaming license.

888Poker, one of PokerStars’ main competitors, left the market in January.

Amaya’s revenue from poker in Q1 was $218.7 million, the first revenue increase in three quarters. Poker revenue grew 1.1 percent compared to Q1 of 2016.

It’s unclear what the impact of losing Australia would have on poker revenue. It is worth noting that Australians spend more on gambling than people anywhere else in the world.

According to H2 Gambling Capital, an adult in Australia spent (lost) an average of $990 on gambling in 2016. The Economist reported that the amount is 40 percent higher than Singapore, the runner-up on the list, and about double the average in Western countries like the U.S. and Canada.

Though Aussies gamble at a high rate, generating a gambling market worth about $18 billion a year, there isn’t a lot of room for growing the market, according to the report.

“Despite Australia’s profitability, the high level of existing gambling penetration and relatively small population of 23 million make it a relatively mature market without much room for expansion.”

The country is also moving forward with other reforms to its gambling industry, which includes prohibiting online betting companies from offering credit to gamblers and also requiring them to offer self-exclusion programs.

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-new...-leave-australian-online-poker-market-by-june
 

B4Bear

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 6, 2011
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Does a VPN get around the banning of Australians? Although come to think of it, if you do not have an overseas card/bank account to withdraw into.
 
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