The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced that it blocked more offshore online casinos. This was consistent with the regulator’s continued protection of Australia’s gaming market.
Two More Offshore Casinos Have Been Blocked
According to its latest announcement, the ACMA has taken action against two more websites. The services in question included Crown Slots and Billy Billion, both of which were found to be operating in breach of Australian law.
The ACMA explained that the two offshore operators had violated the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, necessitating regulatory action. As a result, the authority requested that Australian internet service providers (ISPs) block the two online casinos’ domains.
The regulator noted that website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options it has at its disposal. The ACMA’s track record shows that it will not hesitate to leverage ISP blocking to prevent bad actors from accessing the Australian market and taking money from local players.
Consumers Should Remain Vigilant
The ACMA has been blocking illicit offshore operators since November 2019 when it issued its first blocking request. Since then, it has blocked a staggering 1,178 illegal gambling and affiliate websites.
In addition to that, some 220 illegal services have willingly pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA assumed responsibility for enforcing Australia’s gambling laws.
In February, the ACMA took action against another eight offshore operators, including JokaRoom, AUDPokies888, Aura Play, Instant Casino, Leon, Rich Papa, UUSpin, and Wild Pokies. These sites received similar treatment and were blocked in Australia.
The ACMA has maintained a transparent approach to its regulatory activities and has been continuously issuing new blocking requests against online casino operators. For reference, online gambling is illegal in Australia, which is why if left unchecked, offshore companies would have virtually no competition.
The ACMA reminded players that even if an online gaming service looks legitimate, it is not, since iGaming is not allowed in the country. Additionally, even the best offshore websites are unlikely to have important consumer protections.
A list of all licensed gaming services is available on the ACMA’s official website.
ACMA Identified a Violation by Network 10
In addition to protecting Australia from offshore competitors, the ACMA is also responsible for overseeing certain compliance-related matters within Australia. In February, the ACMA understood that Ten Network, the Australian commercial television network under the ownership of Ten Network Holdings, had violated the gambling advertising regulations during its coverage of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in March 2024.
The company had aired a total of four gambling advertisements during the first practice round of the Grand Prix, despite strict rules prohibiting such ads during sporting events between 5:00 am and 8:30 pm.
The incident was attributed to human error and Network 10 took the necessary measures to prevent it from happening again.
In the meantime, the fight against illegal gambling continues across the country. While online casinos are a huge problem, authorities have also been wary of the growing underground gaming sector.