Good luck Warnie!
January 18, 2008
One of the best cricket players ever is now playing for 888. Big deal a lot of you will say, especially anyone from a country that doesn't play cricket.But it's big news, especially in Australia, because a big gaming company is actively promoting online poker. Not only do we have Joe Hachem promoting PokerStars to Aussies, but one of their most beloved cricketers is playing online too and captaining the 'Australian 888 Poker Team'.
Online poker is supposedly illegal to advertise in Australia. It's not illegal for Aussies to play, but it most definitely is against the 2001 introduced interactive gaming act for for any company to advertise... Not that it is policed or anyone has ever been charged...
Shane Warne though did get in a little trouble with the government for a deal he had with another online poker room and a website that was online. Actually it's the only instance I could find of anyone being in trouble with the Australian government for a gaming website previously.
It's dumb of Australia to try to stop online poker, and I hear from some Aussie friends that the law was only introduced to appease the powerful lottery and horse racing industries back in 2001 anyway. It seems un-Australian to try and stop them gambling. They love to bet on anything!
I actually caught a plane with Shane & Tony Hachem from LA to Vegas just a few weeks ago. They were off to the Bellagio for some practice and shared my surprise at the small planes AA is now using to ferry people across the desert. That thing was tiny!
But anyway, best of luck at the tables Warnie, and congrats to our friends at 888 for successfully promoting poker to the Aussie market.
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