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The Australian domain name Poker.com.au has been sold for $100,000. The surprisingly small price of the domain name has been attributed to the country's legal environment. The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 makes it illegal for companies to provide online gaming services to residents of Australia so there weren't many takers when it came time to selling the URL.
Online gambling giant 888 Holdings purchased Poker.com.au. The plan to use the domain name to host a poker guide but that could change very quickly if legislation ever turns their way. They have already placed a "Coming Soon" headline on the page along with the following message: "The Poker Guide that will change the way you think about poker, play poker, and even dream your hand in poker is coming soon with all the features that you'll want and all the bonuses and special offers that you're looking for. In the meantime, trust your luck with our rotating banner!"
The banner they refer to links visitors to 888Poker which could land the company in hot water since it's also illegal to advertise online gambling in Australia. This is probably forgivable to law enforcement however, as the company is probably still preparing to get the new site up and running.
Last June, Australia's Productivity Commission recommended that the Australian Government amend the Interactive Gambling Act to permit online poker games but so far the government has made it clear that they have no intention of heeding the Productivity Commission's suggestion. In a few years they could definitely change their stance however and 888 Holdings is probably betting on the fact.
As always, stay tuned to Casinofan for more news and updates.
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I think that it's time to change the lows and give Australian players more ways and offers to play poker online