The latest chapter in Australia's power struggle between the state and federal governments over which body should be empowered to legislate gambling matters has the Premier of New South Wales throwing his support in the corner of the federal government and calling on other states to do the same.
NSW Premier Bob Carr has submitted a written request to NSW Prime Minister John Anderson as well as fellow state and territorial leaders that the state gambling laws of New South Wales--laws that do not permit online casino gambling--be adopted nationally.
Last month, Australian Prime Minister John Howard attempted to put in place a one-year moratorium on the issuing of Internet gaming licenses throughout the entire country. It remains to be seen whether the states, which traditionally have their own say in legislating gambling policy, comply.
Government officials and gaming regulators in most states rigidly oppose the moratorium. Western Australia and New South Wales are the only two states to support the Prime Minister.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Carr has called for the enforcement of a national approach to
the following issues:
a national scheme for police casino exclusion orders;
a moratorium on Internet gambling;
harm-minimization controls;
constraints on deceptive gambling advertising; and
research into problem gambling
All of these policies have already been adopted by the New South Wales government.
"As a nation, if we are to continue to enjoy the positives of gaming, we must also ensure everything possible is being done to stop criminals using casinos and to protect those with a problem," Carr explained.
The responses from Carr's colleagues in other states haven't started rolling in, but you can bet that there will be at least a few doozies.