In the long term, Senator Richard Alston Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts hopes to see all forms of interactive gambling permanently outlawed. He maintains that if this is not done it will add to existing gambling problems in Australia.
However, there has been some opposition to the proposal, most notably from members of the Internet Industry Association who believe that the measures will simply force gambling operators offshore, thereby reducing the level of protection for those participating.
Although the UK government has announced its intention to legislate on internet gambling, it has said that this will not be done until 2001. The current UK position, therefore, relies on rather outdated legislation contained in the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976, which cannot be easily applied to new communications systems.