Australia considers point-of-consumption online betting tax

Australia’s federal government has revealed plans for a point-of-consumption tax (POC) on online gambling.

On Friday, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison spoke with officials from states and territories across the country about the matter ahead of the 2017 budget.

Speaking to the Australian media, Morrison said an agreement had been reached to “move forward to prepare a proposal for a nationally consistent approach to point of consumption tax on online gaming”.

However, Morrison said that such a move would not be “about raising revenue for revenue’s sake”, but instead minimising gambling-related harm for consumers and national sporting bodies.

Morrison did not set a date for when the new laws might come into effect, adding that the country’s state and territory governments need to examine the matter further.

The proposed changes come shortly after the Australian Senate gave its approval to various amendments to national online gambling laws that are set to outlaw internet poker and in-play sports betting.

Last week, the Senate gave the green light to changes set out in the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016, including legislation that bans all online gaming activities not specifically authorised within the new national codes.

Online poker will be one of the areas impacted, while although sports betting will remain authorised, the amended law reiterates a nationwide ban on any form of in-play wagering.

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