Western Australia has welcomed a Federal Government announcement forecasting a crackdown on online Keno and foreign-matched lotteries. New laws will close loopholes in the Federal Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which the government says has allowed such products to thrive in the community. The reforms follow sustained advocacy by the Cook Government in Western Australia to lower the gambling risk that online Keno and foreign-matched lotteries can pose. “My government welcomes the Commonwealth Government’s announcement to close critical loopholes in the Interactive Gambling Act that have historically allowed dodgy lottery organisations to sell their products to Western Australians,” Premier Roger Cook said. He said the changes followed strong and sustained advocacy by his government to ensure the reforms prohibit foreign-matched lotteries and online Keno organisations from circumventing state-based legislation.
Under the changes, Western Australia’s Lotterywest system is preserved, along with the 500 small businesses that sell Lotterywest products across the state. Lotterywest is Australia’s only state-owned lottery, with all profits from games directed to Western Australians through prizes and grants. In the past financial year, more than $1 billion was returned to Western Australians through prizes and subsidies, with $380 million in grants going to 395 organisations. The small businesses selling Lotterywest games employ 2500 staff statewide, and more than 70 per cent of Lotterywest players purchase from a physical retail store.
