For those interested, here is a link to a summary of Australia's Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, as compiled by the site Gambling Law US:
http://www.gambling-law-us.com/Artic...-australia.htm
Assuming the aforementioned summary is correct, the IGA does not outlaw playing per se but rather it outlaws operating the service to players: "The IGA targets the providers of interactive gambling services, not their potential or actual customers."
I take this to mean the IGA -- if implemented as described in Newell's article -- has effectively created one giant firewall for the entire country. I know many people who can't even visit outlets like PokerPages or the WPT to get tournament updates because their employer has blocked such sites. (On a loosely related note, one of my friends can't even visit eBay while at work.) Am I making an accurate analogy?
Anyway, thanks for sharing, Scott. And Scott Huff, if you're reading, is there any chance we can add Jen Newell to the team of reporters on The Poker Beat? I might be wrong here, but she strikes me as being the most informed poker writer when it comes to gambling legislation.