Anti-gambling sentiment continues to run high in Australia. With proposals for gambling limits on pokies now moving forward, many Australians are left wondering why this passtime which they’ve enjoyed for years has suddenly become a dirty word. Gambling opponents are quick to quote statistics of how much money has been spent in online casinos, and it is generally presented as money that has been lost. As though spending it at a local pokies club means that it has permanently left the local community. This

isn’t the casino though. Clubs provide not only local jobs but also huge sums of tax revenue for local governments. What these types of measure do is not curb gambling but simply push it to other outlets. This mainly means online casinos. Since online casinos are located offshore, this means that, in simple terms, the amount of money spent on gambling remains constant but the local governments miss out on millions in revenue and the local economy suffers. It’s easy to see why gamblers would prefer to play online, they aren’t subject to smoking bans or restrictions on where or how much they can bet at www.jackpotcity.com/uk. Selection of games is better and payout percentages are better. Truthfully, pokies clubs were already having a hard time competing with online casinos and if the current trend continues, local governments will have to work very hard to make up the difference in lost revenue.