Cultural Accommodation of Gambling in Australia
With annual advertising expenditures of over $287 million, Australia promotes wagering as culturally acceptable behavior, and the government collects almost $7 billion from the industry. A sizable amount of money is made through gambling that goes to sports organizations, but specific numbers are difficult to come by. Many cultures in Australia honor, ritualize, and occasionally mythologize gambling behaviors.
History of Gambling in Australia
In Australia, wagering has a long history that dates back to the 18th century. Around this time, Europeans began arriving on Australia’s coastlines. Two Up was a popular coin-operated game back in the day. Despite its ancient Greek roots, the game’s popularity was highest in Ireland and England.
Australia has a long history of betting, dating back generations, but in the 19th century, horse racing wagering became popular. In 1810, at Governor Macquarie’s urging, the first betting event occurred; a horse race. New South Wales residents had a distinct affinity for the sport. It was in the 1840s that horse racing truly took off in Australia.
This was the inaugural time the state had officially sanctioned and coordinated such an event. At the beginning of the 20th century, slot machines began to gain popularity.
Australia’s First Casino
Although wagering on horse races had been lawful for about a century, Australia did not have a physical casino until 1973. The practice began in Tasmania following several years of court battles to legalize it across the state. Blackjack, baccarat, and roulette are just a few table games available at the casino.
Its intended purpose of increasing tourism-related tax revenue for Tasmania was accomplished satisfactorily. Around the 1980s, a slew of other casinos sprung up throughout Australia. Some of the very earliest casinos are still operating and provide excellent service.
Finding a trustworthy online casino to place bets at is a breeze these days. You can find a list of reliable online casinos by reading Australian online casino reviews. You may learn about the games available, whether or not a mobile app is available, the bonuses provided, and the payment options accepted by a given casino by reading the reviews found on the internet.
Development of Online Gambling
Although laws regarding digital gambling in Australia are pretty tight, punters in the country have been trying to circumvent these rules. Gambling gains are exempt from taxation, which helps immensely.
Because of the convenience of virtual gambling, the industry has recently experienced a surge in popularity. Those younger gamers who are accustomed to playing on their mobile devices will find this to be remarkably easy. The widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies as a currency has also aided this development.
Regulation of Gambling in Australia
As online gambling continued to explode in popularity in Australia, it was not yet subject to regulation by the federal government. However, the government intervened to establish rules for the industry. As a result, in 2001, Congress passed the Interactive Gambling Act. The act has controlled the industry, making internet gambling more popular despite its limitations.
Conclusion
Gamblers have been integral to Australia’s social fabric for hundreds of years. Furthermore, the current process of legalizing and the highly controlled gaming we see today are relatively recent developments.
However, the widespread fascination with wagering in Australia shows no signs of abating despite the restrictions imposed by the law. Because of its relatively well-off and technologically knowledgeable populace, Australia embraced internet gambling quickly.
