Summary
- The ACMA has targeted seven additional websites that have been selling their products in Australia without a license.
- The regulator persists in targeting websites that violate local laws by offering iGaming and other products without the required licenses.
- The ACMA has been tackling illegal gambling by targeting individual operators and collaborating with overseas regulators.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has announced new blocking orders against seven websites, stating that they have been operating in violation of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
ACMA keeps pressure on the unregulated gambling sector
Australia prohibits online casinos, yet the country has been targeted by numerous domains. In response, the regulatory authority has started identifying and issuing individual blocking orders against these websites. As of now, over 1,251 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been banned, including seven newly-blocked sites. In its early efforts against unregulated gambling, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) successfully pressured 220 mostly licensed and established casinos to withdraw voluntarily in 2017 by threatening overseas legal action. The newly-targeted websites include Casiny, CoinPoker, Crown Play, Fafabet9, SlotFred, Smart 93, and Vigor Spin. Several of these sites have previously used mirror domains to continue accessing the Australian market. The offshore gambling industry, particularly segments targeting Australia, has relied on mirror domains to quickly reestablish their operations if a site is shut down. Despite this, ACMA remains steadfast in its efforts to trace and block individual domains proactively.
Uphill battle with no end in sight
While there are thousands of websites currently active or on standby in Australia, with new ones continuously being added, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) faces a time-consuming process in implementing its blocks. The regulator has reached out to international counterparts, like those in Curacao, to request assistance in ensuring that none of the sites registered in these jurisdictions target Australian players. In previous enforcement actions, ACMA has focused on websites violating the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER) known as BetStop. In April, the authority further blocked additional sites that were found to be operating without the required license in Australia.
