Australian children are now accessing online and mobile phone applications that imitate playing poker machines.
Slotomania is a free iPhone and Facebook application that simulates pokie games. The players of the game cannot win money but are able to buy credit for the game with real cash. Clubs Australia executive director Anthony Ball wrote to Families Minister Jenny Macklin and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy twice last year, encouraging them to use federal action to shut down access to the programs.
Slotomania does not supply stringent age verification procedures like venue-based gambling environments. The app allows under age users to access content which might be viewed inappropriate by the government and community.
A spokesman for Senator Conroy said that the department of Communications was reviewing the Interactive Gambling Act, which included looking into whether the act was up-to-date with changes in technology, including the use of social networking sites, such as Facebook and applications such as Slotomania.
