04.Is anything being done about penny auctions?
CHOICE approached several Australian experts in gambling and online gaming, and none had heard of penny auctions. While the pokies and online poker websites are well-known and well-covered by the media in this country, these smaller operations, which seem to be gaining popularity worldwide, are barely a blip on the radar.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the regulator charged with enforcing the Interactive Gambling Act, takes the view that the sites are just like eBay.
“ACMA has received a number of complaints about online auction sites, including penny auctions and has investigated these,” says a spokesperson.
“[We] have taken the view that most online auction sites resemble traditional auction processes. The element of ‘chance’ or of ‘mixed chance and skill’ in an online auction process is no greater than that which applies to any more orthodox auction... despite the urgency of the penny auction process and its ‘game-like’ feel.”