Anger at state's backflip over online gaming - The Age

[I Heart Gambling Online]

ANTI-GAMBLING campaigners are dismayed at the State Government's quiet about-turn on internet gambling and are preparing to fight its spread in the community.

The Government, after years of concern about online gambling operator Betfair, has backflipped and offered its own licence to set up an operation similar to the Tasmanian-based company.

Betfair was the first so-called betting exchange licensed in Australia. The operation, conducted over the internet, works like the sharemarket. Punters bet against each other with no bookmaker or tote in the middle. Betfair's Australian debut in 2006 sent shivers through the racing industry because punters can bet on horses to lose, possibly increasing the incentive to fix races.

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