Online gaming companies in Australia and overseas are panicking today after it emerged the Government down under intends to implement strict restrictions on certain types of web-sites.

The new Labour Government wants internet service providers in their jurisdiction to filter content to ensure both households and schools do not receive what they deem to be “inappropriate material”.

While the Government say their main aim is to protect minors from watching pornography and sites with violent content online casino sites are also likely to fall victim of the conservative initiative.

The recently elected Government is set to compile a list of unsuitable sites in the coming days and by the 20th of January the internet service providers will be expected to have axed these sites in schools and households.

The hard line stance taken by the Government has angered many in Australia. Critics of the proposals have insisted they have no place in a liberal democracy, and have accused Canberra of being oppressive.

Indeed the Vice President of the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties has claimed that the nation’s new proposed Internet censorship laws would not stop computer-savvy children from looking at banned sites, including online casinos and pornography.

David Bernie said “It is a gimmick. It's been sold to the public as protecting children from pornography but what is dangerous about these filters is that parents will think their children can't access pornography on the Internet when in fact they can. Anybody who's computer-savvy can work their way around these filters in about two minutes maximum. Only adults would be restricted by the filters.
 Will there be some database of people who want to access adult pornography, which is legal in most democratic countries?”

Australia has a somewhat chequered past when it comes to the issue of online gaming.

In 2001 the Australian Government passed the rather hypocritical Interactive Gambling Act which they said provided protection for their citizens from ‘the harmful effects of gambling’.

Incredibly the act targets the providers of interactive gambling services ( though they are legal ) and does not in any way punish the potential or actual player!