Aussie pol wants tax on betting turnover; pokies lobby, AGA team on anti-online fight

An Australian politician wants to impose a tax on sports betting turnover and use the banking system to prevent Australians from wagering with international online gambling sites.

Bridget McKenzie, a National party senator from the state of Victoria, wants the federal government’s ongoing review of its taxation system to include a 0.05% tax on all wagers placed on Australian sporting events. McKenzie also wants to see betting operators pay an unspecified product levy across all sports.

McKenzie told Guardian Australia that “the current legal framework doesn’t provide the outcomes we need” from the betting industry. McKenzie says her tax plan, which has already received the endorsement of the Nationals’ federal council, would distribute revenue raised from betting to regional development projects and problem gambling programs.

McKenzie also wants the government to prevent international gambling sites not holding an Australian betting license from accessing the market via “banking and other tools.” The federal government is currently conducting a review of the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act, with an emphasis on figuring out ways to reduce the influence of international sites.