A month after making a huge splash by launching Australia's first regulated Internet casino, Lasseters Online reported Wednesday that it has surpassed the $1 million mark in wagers.
The site, located at www.lasseters.com.au, has attracted over 3,000 players from more than 76 countries and has averaged more than 20,000 hits per day. More than 70 percent of its players registered from outside Australia.
Lasseters CEO Peter Bridge said that early results go far beyond initial expectations, an indication that there's a strong demand for regulated online gaming. "We have been amazed by the spread of players across so many countries and are extremely pleased with the level of interest shown so quickly," Bridge said. "I believe we have only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of the demand for a regulated and trustworthy online gaming site."
Bridge also reported that the site has been trouble free so far and that customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
He expressed concerns, however, over a number of offshore, unregulated sites launched in the last month that claim to be Australian based. "For most players, it is difficult to tell the difference between the unregulated and regulated sites since they all use high quality graphics and Australian imagery," he said. "We advise players to not take sites at face value and check they are wagering with an online gaming site endorsed by the Australian Government or a State and Territory Government. It is only with this strict government regulation that their interests are protected."
Lasseters Online, which went live April 19, 1999, is owned by Quilter Assets Australia, an Australian registered company, and operator of the Lasseters Hotel Casino, Alice Springs. The web site is licensed to operate under the Northern Territory Gaming Control (Internet Gaming) Act. It has strict registration and wagering limits, and the highest generation of security controls available for electronic commerce.