Currently, PokerStars, the world’s largest poker site, is still running in Australia and is allowing customers to play real-money games. This situation is currently in jeopardy in that anti-poker legislation could be brought to book as early as July.
The parent company of PokerStars, Amaya is closely monitoring the situation in the country and recently stated: “If the current proposed legislation is enacted in Australia, we intend to block players in that market. We currently estimate that the proposed legislation could be considered in late May, and players would be blocked in the market approximately 30 days thereafter.”
The Australian parliament recently approved gaming rules that would stop people from playing on real-money offshore poker platforms.
What the impact will be on losing poker revenue is not clear, but it will be substantial as Aussies are currently spending more on gambling than any group in the world.