Poker Apps Removed from Aussie App Store
Aussie iOS Poker
Players are caught off-guard by the government’s move.
While online and mobile sportsbooks are legal in Australia, other forms of remote gambling are not.
Poker belongs to those games that have been denied online licensing and domestic players are therefore prohibited from playing it on their computers and mobiles.
While such ban is generally not easy to enforce, there are occasions when government countermeasures, such as an ISP ban may work. One such measure is the recent move by the Aussie government, instructing Apple’s local iTunes app store to remove poker apps by PokerStars and 888poker from the selection on offer.
The move caught all iPad and iPhone mobile gambling poker fans by surprise, as there had been no official communication from either the government or the companies involved.
PokerStars eventually confirmed it via Twitter that the disappearance of its apps was due to government action. “Your local authorities are the best point of call for information. As far as we know it’s a ‘clamp down’ on mobile gaming,” according to one of the messages posted.
Recommendations contained in a recent government review of the local gambling scene pointed towards the gradual legalization of online games, starting with poker, and included suggestions about encouraging offshore operators to get local licenses.
The recent move against the poker applications may be part of a government strategy to create an environment whereby operators are more inclined to consider applying for a local license – especially if they are left without other choices.
The success of this strategy, however, is rather dubious. Australian players are already sharing tips on local poker forums about circumventing the app store restrictions, while others are suggesting that fans of the game simply switch to Android casino poker, which can not be blocked the same way.
