Online poker operator PokerStars has informed its Australian players that it would depart the local market in mid-September, following a recent approval regarding the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016.

The business is yet to announce a formal exit date, but assured its Australian customers that their funds are and will also be safe and will be withdrawn each time they find fit. Players were encouraged to begin withdrawing their funds and also to start their unopened Stars Rewards Chests. Consumers were also informed that any unused Star Coins and tournament seats and money is changed into cash through the date the operator leaves the market formally onwards.

PokerStars explained that whilst it wanted to conform to local laws, it’ll be watching the marketplace closely for future opportunities to enter it in a appropriate manner and also as a licensed operator.

PokerStars will be the latest of a amount of gambling businesses to have kept the area market within the wake of news about the looming crackdown that is regulatory. Vera&John, 888poker, 32Red, and Gaming Innovation Group were one of the operators to have already exited Australia.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 had been introduced towards the nation’s federal government year that is late last a proposed modification of Australia’s gambling law from 2001. Most of the time, the amendment bill aims to supply more quality over what exactly is legal within the country and what is perhaps not in terms of gambling. And under its conditions, the piece that is legislative the provision of unlicensed online video gaming solutions, poker included, illegal. What is more, neither the nation’s current laws, perhaps not the people become implemented soon contain information about how an igaming that is interested could make application for a license from local authorities.

The legislative piece was voted within the Parliament’s House of Representatives this March and had been then handed to the Senate for review, prospective addition of more amendments, and one final vote.

Championed by Sen. David Leyonhjelm, Australia’s on-line poker community strived within the last many months to spare the game from the ban that is looming. An inquiry in to the state associated with the Australian poker market ended up being initiated previously come july 1st plus the outcomes from it had been to be incorporated into a study by the Senate’s Environment and Communications References Committee, which was likely to be released in mid-September. The Committee held a hearing to delve deeper in to the matter on August 1. Many believed that a Senate vote in the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 will never take place prior to the report ended up being made general public.

Senate lawmakers cast their vote on the legislative piece on August 9, killing any hope of poker being excluded through the brand new regulatory framework, or at the very least being excluded now, before the new law has force. Being qualified by the Parliament, the amendment bill will probably simply take effect into the full weeks to come.