News

Friday, February 03, 2006
Call for ban on SMS betting in Australia

Some members of parliament in Australia have asked the Federal Government to ban a new form of betting through mobile phones.

The new mobile betting system allows punters to place bets by sending SMS text messages to a bookmaker. The service is accessible 24/7 and, according to its opponents, will lead to compulsive gambling problems. In particular young people will be put at risk, the opponents say.

The SMS based mobile betting required prepayment and will therefore limit the risks of compulsive gambling, argues the mobile betting company.