St Kilda accused of grooming' new generation of gamblers at Moorabbin redevelopment

Australia has a gambling problem like no other country – and with a government obsessed with pokies and our sporting clubs equally pleased with the revenue that pokies bring – it seems things are going to get a lot worse around here before they start to get better. The AFL Clubs around the country are no stranger to this ongoing controversy either, with Carlton and Collingwood (among many) constantly being called out for encouraging the growth of this pokie addiction and aiding problem gambling.

Some of the more recent articles that have exposed the AFL for being the corrupt money hungry pokie lovers that they are can be found below:

And Now St Kilda has joined the ranks of arsehats in the AFL who are only interested in profits – even though it comes at the expense of the people.

St Kilda FC Accused of Grooming New Generation of Gamblers

ST KILDA is accused of grooming a new generation of gamblers by including an 83-machine pokies parlour in the club's Moorabbin redevelopment.

The Saints submitted plans to council for the $29 million project last week. The club will relocate back to the ground before the 2018 season and will share the facility with Sandringham Dragons under-18 team and the South Metro Junior Football League.

Tim Costello anti pokies campaigner

Poker machines are the first thing the kids will see when they go to footy training each week, said Rev Tim Costello (pictured) of the Alliance of Gambling Reform. This will help the pokies industry groom a whole new generation of kids.

The State Government and Kingston City Council tried to distance themselves from the machines €” which have been linked to social and family harm.

The state is pumping $12 million into Moorabbin but said its funding would not go towards the gaming operation. It emerged on Tuesday the government insisted on a clear separation between community space and the pokies den.

And Now The Government Joins the Bullshit Train

The Victorian Government does not invest in pokies, said acting sports minister Philip Dalidakis.

Proposed Moorabbin development of St Kilda FC

Artists’ impressions of the proposed Moorabbin development for St Kilda Football Club.

The support we are providing St Kilda and the AFL is for a community facility for locals and junior football to enjoy and for the Saints to return to their spiritual home.
Kingston City Council, which is investing $5m, also claimed no council funding will be spent on the gaming area.

Instead $4m of council funds are dedicated to the shared community football facilities, indoor training court which will be available for community basketball/netball use after-hours, plus $1m towards upgrades in the surrounding parkland area, said Kingston chief executive John Nevins.

The AFL is contributing $6m and St Kilda is attempting to raise $5m from wealthy supporters.

The AFL did not wish to comment when questioned about it assisting St Kilda fund and build a new venue for its machines. Costello said government and the council were involved in a con-job if they believed they were not paying for the pokies room.

How can they pretend they're not paying for the gambling room when they're paying for the roof over the top of it and the walls all around it? he said. They're all involved in a con job.

The machines are currently housed in the Saints' social club at Moorabbin, which was described by St Kilda president Peter Summers last week as a tired, rundown community eyesore.

St Kilda said in a statement the works would significantly reduce the focus on gaming at Moorabbin.

This redevelopment gives us the opportunity to relocate the gaming area to a more appropriate location, in line with the club's partnership with the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, the club said.

The project also introduces many other aspects to the precinct €” including a cafe, function area, retail outlet, museum and community meeting rooms €” so that gaming is a minor component of the new, enlarged facility.

St Kilda are Actually one of the Better Teams too!

  • North Melbourne is the only Victorian club not running poker machines.
  • The other nine take about $90m from gamblers' pockets annually.

st kilda afl football club

St Kilda is a minor player in the AFL industry's pokies habit, claiming just $1.25m in social club revenue in 2015.

 

Original story and source article –> HERE

Top 5 Aristocrat Pokies Of 2015 According To Aussies

Aristocrat Gaming and the Undisputed Pokies King

Aristocrat Gaming Technology or just Aristocrat as is the more commonly used name is the world leader in slot machine and pokie development and have been making world class, award winning pokies and slots since they begun in Australia over 60 years ago. Started by the undisputed king of the pokies and Australia’s 5th wealthiest man Len Ainsworth – a man who then went on to create Ainsworth Gaming who it’s no surprise – are the second largest maker and supplier of slot machines and pokies, Aristocrat is the product of a man who has shaped not only how pokies and slots are played around the world but has also directly influenced how we gamble and interact with online and offline casinos in general!

Learn more about the man behind the biggest pokie machine manufacturers in the world and see why he is the undisputed king of Australian pokies by following THIS LINK HERE

The Top Aristocrat Pokies of 2015

play aristocrat pokies online free spins and bonus games

Aristocrat Pokies have been on top of every Australian punters list of favourites for as long as they can remember, and even those unfamiliar with the brand will find at least 50% of their favourite pokies and casino games bear the Aristocrat brand. It is therefore hardly surprising that when we took a look at the top 5 pokies as voted by Australian players in 2015 – all 5 of them belonged to and were the product of Aristocrat Gaming.

With that in mind let’s see what 5 Aristocrat Pokies have been listed as favourites and learn a little more about why they are so popular with Aussies from all walks of life.

The 5 Most Popular Aristocrat Pokies in 2015

  • Zorro– set in Spanish-occupied California, you are going to don the mask as Zorro as you try to win Juliana's heart and show the evil Monasterio what you are made of. The game itself is brimming with Bonus games and the art style used in Zorro is truly spectacular.
  • Dolphin Treasure – This game certainly makes a big splash, it helps you explore hidden treasure while you discover the depths of the ocean. This ocean-themed casino game looks great and makes you feel like you are the Master of the Ocean. While it might not have a progressive jackpot, it does have a maximum payout of 7,000 credits. This game places you directly at the bottom of the sea, has you search through coral reefs, talk to sea turtles, and swim with dolphins.
  • Red Baron – The sky is literally the limit when you play with this online pokie. Battle it out in the sky for some great jackpots. This war-themed online pokie gets its name from the infamous wartime pilot. With 243 ways of winning, this is a five-reel spectacular that you are sure to love. The fluid gameplay and the grouse animation make this an entertaining option.
  • Werewolf Wild– If you want your fix of spooky werewolves, you do not have to wait until Halloween. This game is going to send the shivers down your back. The chilling graphics and eerie sounds set in this Victorian London theme will draw you in instantly.
  • Silk Road – Come along with a journey for the ages as you travel across the long and winding roads that offer mystery, elegance, and massive bonuses. You may encounter ships of trade, silk traders, and much more. The 3D graphics found here truly stand out, making it one of the most attractive pokies that you will find anywhere.

Other Popular Aristocrat Pokies Games Include:

  • Queen of the Nile
  • Indian Dreaming
  • Big Red
  • Where’s The Gold
  • More Chilli
  • 5 Dragons

The above games are not only some of the most popular Aristocrat Pokies year in year out, they are also available to play online for free! In fact so popular are these Aristocrat pokie games that you can also play real money pokies online through our recommended online casinos and enjoy the best aristocrat pokies alternatives that you can enjoy for free for fun and for real money today!

Play Aristocrat Pokies Online for Free!

Click the image below to visit our top rated online casino Jackpot City and using your mobile or PC access the latest and greatest free and real money pokies and Aristocrat games right now!

Play aristocat pokies online free at playpokies-com-au

Finding The Game You Love

Aristocrat is proud its Australian base and origins, and it shows. With gaming as a beloved pastime, Aristocrat is an important part of the Australian culture. In addition to being a homage to their homeland, Aussies love Aristocrat because it offers some of the best games in the industry. Pick any of the five options mentioned and you will find that Aristocrat is sure to please.

What Casino Game Has The Best Odds?

When it comes to gambling and casinos, the question that remains the most relevant – and certainly the most important to your overall evening and potential return are the odds of you winning on a particular game or slot machine. Therefore the question we are going to take a serious look at today and analyse from a logical and learned point of view is this:

What Casino Game Has The Best Odds?

The first thing we need to do is decide what games constitute a ‘normal casino game’ and then ascertain what the odds are – on average of course. We can then apply another layer of what I would call ‘chance’ – this is gambling afterall – and we are left with what is hopefully the casino games with the best odds, and then we’ll be able to tell you definitively what casino game has the best odds. Not a bad plan of attack hey? Righto then – let’s get into it….

What Casino Game Has the Best Odds

Most Popular Types of Casino Games (And the Odds of Winning Each)

most popular casino games with best odds


Pokies and Slot Machines – House Edge 10%

pokies have the worst casino odds

 

 

Pokies and Slots need no introduction, especially here at Online Pokies Australia – but in terms of popularity you can see they are heads and shoulders above the other table and non table casino games here. The Pokies/Slot Machines also happen to have the highest return to Player rate (of around 90%) vs. the other table games and sports gambling where the return is closer to 70%.

So then the Casino Games with the best odds are slot machines?

true odds of winning slot machines are not goodWell no, not exactly….. In fact the RTP rate of 90% is no indication of the odds of winning but is an overall metric used by the machine’s internal algorithm to keep the payout balance in check. a 90% return rate sounds wonderful in theory but you are still getting 90c back from every $1 you put in the machine. Over time you are almost guaranteed to lose the lot. I say almost because there is a chance you will win more than you started with – a 1 in a million chance that is.

The odds of winning the major jackpot on a pokie or slot machine is closer to 9,000,000:1 but a realistic figure for a semi decent return (of say double what you started with) gives you slightly better odds of around 1,000,000:1 – lucky you right!

Learn more about what your true odds of winning on the pokies is by visiting THIS LINK HERE. You can also get some more insight into how the algorithm, Return Rate and overall odds are calculated within the slot machine by checking out our detailed HOW POKIES WORK guide. Simply follow the links (which will open in a new window for you)

Needless to say, Pokies are designed to make money not to make YOU money. They are also the ONLY FORM OF GAMBLING where the odds are predetermined and NO AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE SKILL OR EXPERIENCE will swing the odds in your favour. It is for this reason that pokies are without doubt Casino Game with the worst odds. Ironically it is the lack of knowledge and skill required to play them that make Pokies and Slot Machines such a popular choice for online and real world gamblers around the world

Determining Casino Game Odds with the ‘House Edge’

The house edge is defined as the ratio of the average loss a player makes to the initial bet amount. For example, if you play Blackjack with basic strategy, over the long run, the house edge is 0.5%. This means for every $10 you bet, you will lose 5 cents over the long run. With Baccarat or Craps, you will lose less than 10 cents for every $10 you bet. With roulette, depending on the game design, you could lose 27 to 53 cents for every $10 you bet.

To put it into perspective, the average house edge for most Casino Table Games is 1% – meaning for every $10 you bet you will lose 10c. The House edge on Pokies and Slot Machines is closer to 10% meaning for every $10 you spend you will lose $1!

Pokies and Slot Machines therefore provide at least 10 times less chances of winning than any other casino game on the floor – with odds over 1000% worse than the casino average.

Blackjack – House Edge of 0.28%

casino games with the best odds

Blackjack is a card game. It's played between the house€”also known as the dealer€”and the player. The dealer deals out two cards to each player and keeps two cards. The dealer has one card face up and one down. The players take turns trying to get as close as they can to 21. The player calls hit to get a card and end their turn. A player can also call double. This doubles their bet. They can only get one card and their turn ends. If a player has two identically numbered cards, they can split.

Improve your Odds of Winning with These Effective Blackjack Playing Tips

Computer simulations and probability calculations have helped develop a basic Blackjack strategy. If this strategy is fully followed, the house advantage can be reduced to 0.5% over the long run.

  • If you have 8 or below, hit irrespective of what the dealer has.
  • If you have 9 and the dealer has 3, 4, 5 or 6, double your bets. If the dealer has 2 or 7, hit.
  • If you have 10 and the dealer has anything between 2 and 9, you should double down. If the dealer has a 10 or ace, hit.
  • If you have 11 and the dealer's card value is between 2 and 10, double down. If the dealer has an ace, hit.
  • If you have 12 and the dealer has 2, 3, or 7 and higher, hit. Stand if the dealer has 4, 5 or 6.
  • If you have between 13 and 16, and the dealer has 7 or higher, hit. If the dealer has between 2 and 6, stand.
  • Always stand if your cards value between 17 and 21.

Roulette – House Edge 2.7%

casino games with the best odds

In roulette, the player places their chips on the table to wager them. The table has numbers 0-36 and 00. It has additional betting for even-odd, red-black, low 18-high 18, low/middle/high 12 and for the first/second/third columns. The dealer spins the wheel clockwise. Then, they roll a ball counter-clockwise. The ball lands in a numbered slot on the wheel. All bets that correspond with the number win. The only discrepancy with the odds of this casino game is dependant on whether there are 1 or 2 00’s on the board/reel. If there is the standard single 00 then the house edge is around 2.7% – add another 00 and the house edge is closer to 5.26%

The American roulette wheel has 38 number slots consisting of numbers 1 through 36 along with numbers 0 and 00. The European roulette wheel has only one 0 slot.

As a player, you can choose to bet on a particular number or several individual numbers. You can also bet if the ball will land on a black- or a red-colored number slot, or an odd or even number. You can also choose number groupings, for example, 1 to 18 and 19 to 36, and so on. There is a place on the table to bet for each of these situations, and you can place multiple bets during each play. The dealer spins the ball in the direction opposite to that of the turning wheel. The play is only valid when the ball completes three revolutions around the spinning wheel. Players can place bets until the dealer announces no more bets.

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker – House Edge 2.67%

casino games with the best odds - 5 card poker

Poker is a card game. It's based on a five card hand. Hands are ranked from lowest to highest. The order of hands is high card, pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush. The player with the best hand wins.

There are too many versions of Poker and a myriad of hints and tips you can find to help improve your overall game play and of course increase your odds of winning. We recommend (and use) PokerListings.com for all our Poker Rules and strategy tips – and we recommend you do the same – just VISIT THIS LINK HERE

Craps (Pass/Come) House Edge 1.41%

casino games with the best odds - craps

Craps is a dice game. The players make wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. If a seven or 11 turn up on the first roll of the dice, the shooter wins whatever they bet. If the shooter rolls two, three, or 12 on the first roll, they loose the money, but not the dice. When the person rolls a four, five, six, eight, nine, or ten that number becomes their point. The shooter keeps rolling until their point turns up again for a win or until the person throws a seven and loses the money and the dice.

Improve your Odds of Winning with These Effective Craps Tips

If Craps rules seem complicated, start one step at a time. The PASS bet is the most fundamental that almost all players make, and it is easy to understand.
Start with a PASS or DON'T PASS bet, and with more experience, engage in more bets. The optimal strategy in Craps is to bet on the DON'T PASS line and back it up by laying the odds. This is contrary to how most players bet in Craps, but it gives you the most edge in the long run. If you want to go with the crowd, even with a PASS strategy, you have a great chance of winning.

Australians Are The World’s Biggest Gamblers – And That’s a Problem

Australian’s penchant for pokies has taken us from the lucky country to the unluckiest country in the world, with alarming gambling statistics that put us so far ahead of the rest of the world it would make your head spin.

Australia’s Gambling Addiction Stats

The most recent Australian Gambling Statistics place the average spend at nearly double the US (and close to triple the rest of the world) – see the image below or for further information and more supporting facts about the state of gambling in Australia and the associated issues pokie addiction has on this country – or visit RSLPokies.com and see first hand how bad it really is around here.

Australian Gambling statistics 2016

Visit RSLPokies.com for further evidence and supporting data surrounding Australia’s Gambling epidemic and the growing problems associated with Pokies

Gambling Isn’t So Bad – It’s The Pokies You Have To Be Wary of!

The problems associated with gambling in Australia are 100% attributed to the pokies – and sadly this is only perpetuated by a Government that is blinded by the 20 Billion plus they make every year in associated tax revenue (source and supporting data) – and just in case you think I’m just saying this because I don’t like offline pokies you are dead wrong! The image below shows how alarming the pokie problem is – and if you follow the above link to the source and supporting data you will see (sadly) why these figures are not going to improve anytime soon.

australia gambing spend and pokies statistics

 

Laura’s Story

Laura began gambling on slot machines, or pokies as they are known in Australia, when she was 20 years old. Within a few months she was hooked. “I loved it but it didn’t love me back,” says Laura, not her real name, a wobble of emotion in her voice. She is now 25.

At her peak she was losing about A$5,000 ($3,650; £2,350) a month. “It would be basically all the money I had until my last dollar was gone.”

Laura had a decent job but she would pour all of her salary into the pokies and then borrow from friends and relatives to gamble more. “I lost my relationship. I lost my job. I went to pretty desperate measures to fund my gambling.”

Laura is Far From Alone…

Laura is far from alone. Australians are officially the world’s biggest gamblers, with each adult losing on average more than A$1,380 a year.

That is double the amount lost by Americans and almost three times as much as the British.

“Australians lose more per head than any other country in the world,” says Dr Sally Gainsbury from the Centre for Gambling Research at Southern Cross University.

“Australia definitely has a gambling problem,” she says.

“One percent of adults have a serious gambling problem which is actually a clinical disorder. Four percent of adults have moderate gambling problems and eight percent a low range of gambling problems.”

That means it is estimated there are a staggering half a million Australians at risk from problem gambling.

Original Source and further reading: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-33647401

The Hypnotism of Pokies

By far the biggest problem is pokies and/orslot machines, of which there are more than 200,000 across Australia. (This accounts for over 20% of the worlds gaming machines FYI)

“Pokies are the biggest revenue generator,” says Dr Gainsbury. “Around two-thirds of all gambling losses are through the pokies and in Australia that amounts to around A$9.8bn a year.”

It is incredibly easy to gamble in Australia. There are pokies in just about every pub or bar.

Many pubs contain betting shops, where punters are able to gamble and drink at the same time, and there’s nearly always a handily placed cash machine near by, often even in the pub itself.

“My partner used to say it was like I was hypnotised,” says Laura.

“I was chasing the adrenalin of having a big win. There was just something about the lights and the sounds of the pokie machines. I would just crave it.”

Laura, now a university student who hasn’t gambled for more than a year since joining Gamblers Anonymous, says she knew the odds were against her but she just couldn’t stop herself.

Matthew ‘Lied to their faces’ and Lost Everything

Matthew shares his own story and how the struggle was real…

“I knew exactly what time I got paid and I lost all that money before I even left the office,” says Matthew, again not his real name, a 35-year-old IT worker.

Matthew became hooked on amateur online trading sites, speculating on shares and currencies.

He first noticed he had a problem not because of the losses but because of the amount of time he was wasting at work researching the markets.

But soon he says he was losing more money than many people make in a year; tens of thousands of dollars.

“I lost a relationship, my fiancee. The relationship I had with my mum went down the drain,” Matthew says.

“The thing that got most people was that I lied to their faces about where I was and about my money situation.”

The Social Cost of Gambling

Most compulsive gamblers have similar stories to tell.

“In terms of social costs, it is estimated that problem gambling costs A$4.7bn each year,” says Dr Gainsbury.

“Gambling is something that affects not just the individual but the people around them. We’re talking family breakdown, unemployment, work disruption and then things you can’t even put a price on like suicide.”

With such a heavy social cost you would think the government would be keen to do something about it. You would be wrong.

“Gambling taxes are one of the single largest sources of income for the state and territory governments,” says Dr Gainsbury.

“It’s estimated that in 2014-15 they’ll get almost A$5.9bn from gambling [in taxes]. This is over 10% of total tax revenue for some of the states.”

And if anything, gambling is growing in Australia.

Aristocrat Profits Pouring in as Pokie Popularity Peaks

Whoops they did it again!

britney spears aristocrat slots and pokiesPoker machine maker Aristocrat Leisure is scouring the market for more digital acquisitions after a bumper half-year result sparked by the success of its Lightning Link and Britney Spears pokie titles and strong revenues from the tribal casino market in North America.

The gaming giant, which has seen its shares surge by nearly 60 per cent in the last year, boosted its net profit for the first half of 2016 by 66 per cent to $183.2 million.

Aristocrat, which foreshadowed the result to the market earlier in May, lifted its dividend by 25 per cent for the six-monthly period to 10¢ per share and said the result marked its 10th consecutive period of earnings growth.

One broker, Citi, had said it was expecting a bigger capital return lift for shareholders, noting the latest payout represented a 35 per cent payout ratio compared to its forecast of a 60 per cent return.

It’s Business Before Pleasure

But Aristocrat Gaming chief executive Jamie Odell said the gambling company was a growth stock for investors and it would focus on building a larger business over the short to medium term rather than focusing purely on capital returns.

“At this point we don’t feel pressure from shareholders to turn into a high dividend, high yield stock,” said Mr Odell.“They are actually continuing to say the business is in very strong shape, keep your optionality, don’t go crazy on the dividend or on the balance sheet at the moment because we are very well placed to take advantage of opportunities that are going along.”

Mr Odell argued that investors were likely to be satisfied with their returns, particularly over the last 12 months during which time its share price has climbed 51 per cent.

“Most of our shareholders tend to think of us in terms of total shareholder return and clearly they have seen significant share price accretion in the course of the last 12 months, which combined with the dividend growth, means it has been a very high performing TSR stock on the ASX.”

Free Aristocrat Pokies Turning HUGE PROFITS

We’ve discussed in detail here at Online Pokies Australia how Aristocrat Leisure have not licensed any of their popular games to the online casinos and software companies that power them – but it seems there was method in their madness as their free app that allows you to play your favourite Aristocrat Pokies online for free is making a rather good amount of profit on its own merit.

The Heart of Vegas Slots App and associated Android and iTunes store purchases have accounted for over $200million in revenue in the last finiancial year alone

Aristocrat will target small deals in the digital sector, likely under the $200 million level according to sources, as it looks to build on impressive growth from the US social-game platform Product Madness it acquired in 2012, where punters bet on virtual slot games like Heart of Vegas.

“We look at opportunities large and small and whether they could be accretive for the business,” said Mr Odell. “In some cases that could mean acquiring new content, in some acquiring new platforms and in some acquiring new users. But at this point we haven’t found the right fit for us.”

Profit in its digital platform surged to $46 million from $17 million with the number of users surging by 63 per cent to 1.25 million partly due to a strong takeup on the Android network.

aristocrat made $200 million profit from free pokies in 2015

 

Back in the world of Real Money Pokies….

  • Revenue increased by nearly half to $1.01 billion, sparked by a 26% lift from its Americas unit which accounts for 60 per cent of its overall profits.
  • Aristocrat also snared a 64 per cent increase in revenue to $213 million from its Australia and New Zealand unit which contributes 20 per cent of group profits.
  • In Australia pubs, clubs and casinos are ditching competitors’ products for Aristocrat’s new Helix pokies cabinets with Lightning Link and Lightning Cash games.

    “We’ve grown significantly more than the market and we have taken competitors’ older products out,” said Mr Odell, but cautioned that level of growth is unlikely to be replicated. “I think it’s unrealistic to expect a capped market like Australia which only grew by 2 per cent to do the same in the second half.”

  • With second-half growth expected to match trading in the first six months of the year, the gaming giant is on track to lift its annual net profit by 55 per cent to $366 million compared with a consensus prediction of $307 million.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/aristocrat-leisure-profit-boosted-by-pokies-20160525-gp42v5.html#ixzz4CC5TT09o

Aristocrat shares edged up 2c or 0.16 per cent to close at $12.45 on Thursday giving the company a market value of just under $8 billion.

Make Millions Being Politically Correct

Political correctness is the bane of most people’s existence and usually the mere mention of it is enough to get a rise out of people and start eyes rolling like cheese down a Scottish Hill – and rightly so too! Political Correctness sucks dogs balls, big hairy unwashed ones I might add – because while we all tiptoe around trying not to insult each other we are in fact ironically being even more insulting! But what if I told you that being politically correct could make you a millionaire?!

The United Kingdom is Not Like US

Unlike in the U.S., where political gambling is illegal except under some very specific and low-stake circumstances, in the U.K. it is a thriving industry that generates billions of dollars each year. Brits can bet on everything from the outcome of the so-called Brexit referendum to the size of U.S. business mogul Donald Trump’s manhood €” all from the comfort of their own homes using online gambling sites.

The bets are not limited to British elections, and Brits have already spent millions of dollars in legal bets concerning the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

betting on the white house presidential race

Our ultraliberal gambling laws let us bet on pretty much anything taking place anywhere in the world, for whatever stakes we can afford, Paul Krishnamurty, a professional British gambler and analyst for gambling website Betfair, explained in a December 2015 article for Politico. And when it comes to the profit scale, opportunities and pure entertainment, no gambling market quite compares to this one.

Written in 2001 and passed in 2005, the U.K. Gambling Act brought remote gambling, such as the use of gambling websites, under the regulation of the federal government, saying it would help crack down on illegal betting and prevent children under 18 from participating. The industry has flourished in the decade following as a result, with sports betting alone accounting for $700 billion to $1 trillion per year, according to a 2013 report by the BBC.

The Odds are For More Than Just Gambling Too!

The odds being shown for the various candidates by the various British based online betting sites are not just for the punters either! They often serve as some of the best predictors for political contests. Award-winning publications from the Financial Times to the New York Times frequently refer to odds predicted by gambling websites alongside regular polls in in analysis of political contests in the U.K.

It Pays To Be Politically Correct After-all!

Political betting in particular has blossomed, as it allows for more-educated guesses than sports and can't be affected by a broken ankle or a last-minute lineup shift, according to Krishnamurty.

This real-world betting was so much easier than sports, I realized, he wrote, adding,: A well-thought-out political bet won't lose because of a bad refereeing decision, and luck is far less relevant.

 

Find out more about what your betting options are and exactly what you can and cannot punt on by checking out Ladbrokes below – our no. 1 rated UK Based online betting site. Alternatively, see our Best Betting Sites page to read the reviews and decide for yourself which sports betting website is going to give you the best bang for your buck and provide you with an ability to turn your political correctness into cold hard cash.

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Netherlands Not Appy Until Online Gambling is Regulated

NETHERLANDS PUTS GAMBLING APPS ON NOTICE, SAYS 18 MORE MONTHS TO REGULATED MARKET (MAY 11, 2016)

Gaming regulators in the Netherlands have launched an attack on various online gambling apps they deem to be illegal – Calvin Ayre has revealed recently. (Original source article here)

On Wednesday, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) regulatory body posted a notice on its website saying it would soon be posting a public list of the offending apps. The KSA said it expects both the app makers as well as app stores hosting the apps to remove the offending products from their sites. The products in question range in style and type but the majority of the games are pokies and slots game based with a lot of the problems stemming from free slots games no download and other free offerings that then tie the player in and eventually lead to them playing real money pokies online – and I guess this is where the Dutch regulators are looking at lost revenue as gambling dollars and the associated tax head off shore.

online gambling apps not going dutch at dinner
She definitely does not look Appy Jan!

The KSA says it has identified 49 apps that currently offer real-money online gambling to Dutch punters. The KSA expressed concern for both real-money and free-play apps, but for the moment is focusing its enforcement efforts on the real-money products.
For years now, the Netherlands has been working towards a regulated online gambling market, but legislators keep dragging their heels, leaving the KSA to keep cracking their whip in a bid to purge the market of illegality before locally licensed operators get their shot.

Pollies and Pokies

The Lower House of the Dutch parliament will consider the country's Remote Gambling Bill next week but KSA spokesman Martijn van de Koolwijk told Dutch media outlet Volkskrant that approving the legislation has already endured three delays and he doesn't expect the regulated market to launch for at least another 18 months. In the meantime, van de Koolwijk insists that the KSA will continue to enforce the rules, which include fines of up to ‚¬810k or 10% of an operator's Dutch market sales. He also noted that the regulator will consider a license applicant's past behavior in assessing its suitability for a new Dutch online license. The licensing only extends to those mobile casinos and casino apps that allow real money slots and pokies and is not targeting those that are strictly providers of free slots games no download and other free casino games that do not allow players to gamble with real money….. and it seems the powers that be have already been busy.

COURT UPHOLDS ‚¬180k FINES AGAINST 7RED, ROYAALCASINO

Speaking of bad behaviour, an administrative court in The Hague has upheld significant fines the KSA imposed on some illegal operators. Way back in 2014, the KSA levied fines totaling ‚¬180k on the operators of 7red.com and RoyaalCasino.com, as well as on a company offering support services to the sites, for defying the KSA's orders to stop servicing Dutch gamblers.

In a judgment dated April 20, the Court ruled on an appeal filed by the offending companies, who had claimed that the fines contravened European Union free trade principles, that the the KSA's enforcement policies were arbitrary and ambiguous, that the fines were disproportionate to the alleged impropriety and that one of the companies fined wasn't in breach of the rules.

The full judgment (in Dutch) can be read here, but the gist is that the Court upheld the KSA's right to spank the offending operators and rejected the companies' appeal wholesale. Cuz the house always wins in the end€¦

Of course all this comes as a relief and further enforces the fact the 4 online casinos and mobile casinos that we here at OnlinePokies Australia promote are some of the most reputable and clearly not part of this dishonest bunch of dodgy operators like 7Red and Royaal-Casino

Check out our online casino reviews and see for yourself why we only play the best Aussie online casinos.

Australian Pokies Statistics – Infographic

Australia’s Penchant for Pokies.

Our friends over on RSLPokies.com have put this brilliant infographic together to highlight the growing epidemic that is pokie addiction and problem gambling in this country.

Now the first thing we felt was kinda guilty because like many Aussies, we here at OnlinePokies.com.au love a punt on the pokies – so much so that we created this website to provide ourselves and whoever else was interested with access to the best online pokies and casino games currently available. Whether you want to play free pokies or real money pokies was – and remains – completely up to you but the fact we promote pokies left us feeling somewhat responsible – albiet the tiniest of bits.

Pokies are NOT the Problem… aPparently

RSLPokies.com say themselves that the problem is indeed an addiction to pokies but points out that it’s not the pokies themselves that are causing the problems but is in fact the Government and even worse, the RSL Clubs under control of ClubsNSW, ClubsVIC, ClubsACT etc!?!

Can anyone say conspiracy?!

And again it’s RSLPokies.com who bring our attention to a frightening fact: Not only is it true that the Government and those in the Gambling industry are indeed responsible for the rapid growth in problem gambling and pokie addiction, they are doing it right in front of our noses and making no effort to hide the fact.

  • This article (which is just one of many) highlights how in your face the corruption and penchant for profits over people actually is – and again we are reminded that these are the very people charged with improving things! Check out the article –> HERE

What scares the guys at RSLPokies more than anything (and we tend to agree) is that no one is going to stop it! With the governing bodies and those in power benefiting from the $billion in tax revenue (driven mainly by pokies) it seems the only way is down as they seek to instigate anything and everything that encourages the growth of this revenue.

The fact this growth is coming at the expense of the communities they purport to support is like kicking a man when he’s down – and when you realise these ‘RSL’ clubs hide behind the ANZAC tradition it makes one wonder what happened to the “mateship” that made this country so great in the first place?

It Seems They’ve replaced People Power with Pokie Power. Pathetic.

 

Australian Pokie Addiction Gambling Statistics - INFOGRAPHIC

For more information and Statistics on Gambling in Australia visit the following resource:

A Sordid Pokie Affair

Millions in Botany Bay Council funds have been flushed through the pokies in a multi million dollar false invoicing scheme motivated by a penchant for pokies and pussy.

The state's corruption watchdog – ICAC has learned how BOTANY Bay Council funds gleaned through a multi-million dollar false invoicing scheme were being flushed through pokies at a Mt Pritchard club or used to pay off gambling debts of one Marny Baccam, a former clerical assistant at Botany Bay Council – whom he owed $5000

Gary Goodman the Peanut

icac found botany bay council corruptionThe Majority of the debt has been the result of one Gary Goodman, the Botany Bay Council's former chief financial officer Gary Goodman, an on-off lover of Ms Baccam who he met at the Mounties, misused more than $4.2 million of ratepayer's money between 2009 and 2015.

 

ICAC has already heard the council's business unit, which had a $7 million annual turnover, was making a loss as millions were being siphoned out through false or inflated invoices. – And whether you agree or not, it appears that the motivation here is lust – love – the small head we men think with sometimes – at our own detriment – and really it’s fair to say that Gary – you’re a fucking peanut mate. Hire a prostitute like politicians and sports stars do FFS…

But then we hear about this Siddik fellow and it just makes the whole thing kinda odd…

Three is a Crowd FEATURE

Siddik Hussein, director of Al-Furat which publishes Australia's national Arabic newspaper, said he withdrew large sums of cash paid into his account by the council from ATMs at the Mounties in Mt Pritchard late at night while gambling. Under questioning by the council's barrister Arthur Moses SC, Mr Hussein agreed he lodged false or inflated invoices which were approved by Marny Baccam, a former clerical assistant at Botany Bay Council, who he owed around $5000.

Sometimes you would withdraw money from an ATM at the Mounties and give it to her? Mr Moses asked during an Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing this morning. Yes, Mr Hussein replied.

Today, Mr Hussein admitted that he withdrew money stolen from the council through false invoices from an ATM at the Mounties close to midnight which he either handed over to Ms Baccam from or gave her a cash cheque to pay off his gambling debts.

It is this authors opinion that the whole thing is a little dodgy and I put forward the question – if you owe someone $5000 then shouldn’t you pay it back? How did this Siddick character get the council (read taxpayers) to pay his dect – to Ms Baccam which in itself was from money belonging to taxpayers?!?!

mounties mt pritchard club where money was flushed through pokies
mounties mt pritchard club where money was flushed through pokies

Back to the Peanut

Mr Goodman was due to give evidence to ICAC today but instead was at the A & E department at Liverpool Hospital after experiencing bleeding to his left foot following a toe amputation which has required him to use crutches.

-Hopefully he’s a little less toey now – it certainly costs taxpayers a lot when he’s gotten toey in the past 😉

In his absence, the inquiry has heard allegations concerning his personal life from another on-off lover Suman Mishra, a former accountant at the council, who claimed he had four women including one in The Philippines.

– the good looking ones always get the ladies – and Gary’s clearly got it going on…..sweaty manboobs and all!

The inquiry has heard he lavished cash and gifts on his lovers and paid the deposit of Ms Mishra's lush Green Square unit, the mortgage on her Earlwood home and gave her $200 a week pocket money.

Continue Reading…

The original source article – which can be found here goes on about more boring stuff and provides details relevant to both claims – but in the interest of keeping your frontal lobe INSIDE your head I thought we’d skip all that shit and keep it simple – love triangle, fat man thinking with his dick and lady with gambling problem causing all the issues – sounds like every fucking news story and bold and the beautiful story line ever – BORING

Read it here anyway if you like

 

 

Gambling in Australia – The State of Things

Gambling is something that is enjoyed the world over, but nowhere in the world has adopted a love for gambling and an almost obsession with the pokies quite like we Aussies have!.

In fact to give you an idea just how far ahead we are over the rest of the world take a look at this bar graph – which is totally true and legit -you can tell cause its blue and black and white. Wait what?

Free Games Online To Play Without Downloading

The fact that the only nation anywhere near us – Singapore is full of English and Australian expats it leaves me wondering just how far ahead (or behind) we Australians actually are?!

Heaps Far Behind – I mean in Front. Maaaaaate

Over 80% of Australian adults engage in gambling of some kind, which is the highest rate of gambling in the world. This number includes some 4% of the adult population who play the pokies once a week, accounting for some 62% of locals' annual gambling spend.

Total employment in the gambling industry in Australia (thousands of people) since 1984 shows its a bloody big industry – and the amount of money it generates makes it a very powerful one too.

Gambling. It’s All Fun and Games until Someone Loses an Eye a House

Gambling is a significant public health issue, with around 80,000 to 160,000 (or 0.5 – 1.0%) of Australian adults experiencing significant problems from gambling and a further 250,000 to 350,000 (or 1.4 – 2.1% of adults) experiencing moderate risks that may make them vulnerable to problem gambling. The social cost of problem gambling to the community is estimated to be at least $4.7 billion each

Revenue

australians and gambling - pokies problems - Copy

In 2007-08 the states collected about $3 billion from poker machines, and $4.9 billion from all forms of gambling, accounting for 9.1% of their total revenue. The NSW government receives about $1 billion from poker machines, and $1.6 billion from all forms of gambling.

Total Australian gambling revenue in 2008-09 was just over $19 billion and the share of household consumption was 3.1%

NSW

New South Wales has a long history of gambling; Australia's first official horse racing meeting occurred in 1810 at Hyde Park in Sydney; the first official Australian lottery occurred in 1881 at the Sydney Cup; and registered clubs operated the first legal poker machines in Australia from 1956.

Approximately 95,800 of “pokies” are in NSW, a state total beaten only by Nevada, which operated 181,109 gambling machines in 2014.

Fairfield

Fairfield had the highest poker machine revenue in the state for 2013, generating $298 million in clubs and $93 million in pubs, from the start of the year to August. This figure is $123 million greater than the combined total of profits generated from poker machines in the City of Sydney.

Hunter Region

From January to March 2013 poker machines in the Hunter region had a turn over of $4.5 billion, showing an increase of $500 million since 2010. Daily figures show a spend of $12.5 million, working out to be $8682 per minute. The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing found that Newcastle was the Hunter Regions most profitable location with the 3206 poker machines averaging $44,963 each. The top five most profitable clubs for gaming revenue in the Hunter region in 2010 were

  • 1. Western Suburbs Leagues Club (Wests), New Lambton
  • 2. Wests (formerly Club Phoenix), Mayfield
  • 3. Wallsend RSL & Community Club, Wallsend
  • 4. Belmont 16 Foot Sailing Club, Belmont
  • 5. Cardiff Panthers, Cardiff

The top five most profitable hotels for gaming revenue in the Hunter region in 2010 were.

  • 1. The George Tavern, East Maitland
  • 2. Bay Hotel Motel, Bonnells Bay
  • 3. Hotel Jesmond, Jesmond
  • 4. The Lake Macquarie Tavern, Mount Hutton
  • 5. Warners Bay Hotel, Warners Bay

Found out if things have improved for the Hunter region

Central Coast Region

Gosford has approximately 1928 pokies, spread across 37 venues. That is the equivalent of one poker machine for every 71 adults. In 2010-11, venues in Gosford made approximately $95,865,000 in profit from pokies. That equates to $700 for each adult member of Gosford’s population.

Wyong has approximately 2608 pokies, spread across 35 venues. That is the equivalent of one poker machine for every 47 adults. In 2010-11, venues in Wyong made approximately $123,159,000 in profit from pokies. That equates to $1,000 for each adult member of Wyong’s population.

The Central Coast has a higher prevalence of problem gambling than the NSW average. Young men between the ages of 18-24 living on the Central Coast are the biggest players of poker machines in NSW and are the highest risk group for problem gambling.

In 2008 Central Coast Gambling Help carried out a survey of 200 young people aged from 13-24 and found:

  • 96% of people from 18-24 had gambled for money or possessions
  • 62% of those under 14 years old and 77% of those aged up to 17 had gambled for money or items, including mobile phones and MP3 players
  • 25.5% of 14- to 17-year-olds and 55% of 18- to 24-year-olds had lost more than they had intended
  • and 6% under 18 had played a poker machine

Regulatory authorities

Since the introduction of new gambling services, including online gambling, the Commonwealth has taken a more active role in the regulation of gambling, but the Australian gambling industry is also regulated by State and Territory authorities:

  • Australian Capital Territory – ACT Gambling and Racing Commission
  • New South Wales – New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing
  • Northern Territory – Licensing Commission
  • Queensland – Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation
  • South Australia – Independent Gambling Authority
  • Tasmania – Tasmanian Gaming Commission
  • Victoria – Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation
  • Western Australia – Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor

Key Legislation

online gambling rules

Traditionally gambling has been legislated at a state and territory level rather than by the Commonwealth:

  • Australian Capital Territory
    • Betting (ACTTAB Limited) Act 1964
    • Casino Control Act 2006
    • Gaming Machine Act 2004
    • Interactive Gambling Act 1998
    • Lotteries Act 1964
    • Pool Betting Act 1964
    • Race and Sports Bookmaking Act 2001
    • Racing Act 1999
    • Unlawful Gambling
  • New South Wales
    • Betting Tax Act 2001
    • Casino Control Act 1992
    • Charitable Fundraising Act 1991
    • Gambling (Two-Up) Act 1998
    • Gaming and Liquor Administration Act 2007
    • Gaming Machines Act 2001
    • Gaming Machines Tax Act 2001
    • Liquor Act 2007
    • Lotteries and Art Unions Act 1901
    • Public Lotteries Act 1996
    • Racing Administration Act 1998
    • Registered Clubs Act 1976
    • Totalizator Act 1997
    • Unlawful Gambling Act 1998.
  • Northern Territory
    • Gaming Control Act 2005;
    • Gaming Machine Act 2005;
    • Northern Territory Licensing Commission Act 2001;
    • Racing and Betting Act 2004;
    • Soccer Football Pools Act 2004;
    • Totalisator Licensing and Regulation Act 2004; and
    • Unlawful Betting Act 2004.
  • Queensland
    • Brisbane Casino Agreement Act 1992
    • Breakwater Island Casino Agreement Act 1984
    • Cairns Casino Agreement Act 1993
    • Casino Control Act 1982
    • Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999
    • Gaming Machine Act 1991
    • Interactive Gambling (Player Protection) Act 1998
    • Jupiters Casino Agreement Act 1983
    • Keno Act 1996
    • Lotteries Act 1997
    • Wagering Act 1998.
  • South Australia
    • Authorised Betting Operations Act 2000
    • Casino Act 1997
    • Gaming Machines Act 1992
    • Lottery and Gaming Act 1936
    • State Lotteries Act 1966
  • Tasmania
    • Gaming Control Act 1993
    • TT-Line Gaming Act 1993
  • Victoria
    • Casino control Act
    • Casino (Management Agreement) Act 1993
    • Gambling Regulation Act 2003.
  • Western Australia
    • Betting Control Act 1954
    • Bookmakers Betting Levy Act 1954
    • Casino (Burswood Island) Agreement Act 1985
    • Casino Control Act 1984
    • Gaming and Betting (Contracts and Securities) Act 1985
    • Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987
    • Gaming and Wagering Commission (Continuing Lotteries Levy) Act 2000
    • Racing and Wagering Western Australia Act 2003
    • Racing and Wagering Western Australia Tax Act 2003
    • Racing Restriction Act 2003
    • Racing Bets Levy Act 2009

Online gambling

The Interactive Gambling Act (2001) was passed by the Australian Commonwealth Parliament on 28 June 2001. It received assent on 11 July 2001

The Act is targeted at online gambling operators such as Sportsbet, making it an offense for them to offer real-money' online interactive gambling to residents of Australia. It also makes it illegal for online gambling operators to advertise real-money' interactive gambling services (such as online poker and casino) to Australian citizens. That being said, the amount spent on online gaming by Australians reached some $800 million by 2010, according to the official 2010 Productivity Report of the Australian Government.

Accessing and using the interactive gambling services is not an offence. It is also allowed to companies based in Australia to offer their gambling services to gamblers located outside Australia with the exception of those countries that were called ‘designated countries’.

Note that changes have since been ammended that allow for Lotteries, Sports Betting and Wagering – although the definition of wager leaves the entire thing open to interpretation to be honest – read more here

Taxation laws on gambling in Australia

Gamblers’ winnings in Australia are not taxed. There are 3 main reasons for that:

  • Gambling is not considered a profession, it’s treated as a hobby or recreational activity.
  • The Australian government views gains from gambling activities not as income, but as a result of good luck. Even if someone wins big, they also lose a lot in other gambling sessions.
  • The government taxes gambling operators instead.

Taxation of gambling operators in Australia differs from state to state and different gambling services are taxed in a different way. There are taxes on the turnover, on player loss and net profit. As gambling operators need to obtain a license to offer their services, certain fees must also be paid at this stage of gambling business development.

Learn more about Online Gambling Tax and inherent Laws HERE

Original credit and source – Wiki Gambling in Australia