ACMA blocks two more illegal gambling websites in Australia

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) block Casea and Crown96 from operating in violation of Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The authority works closely with internet service providers in order to block sites that are found to be involved in wrongdoing. So far, it has built up a blocking listing of 1,788 unauthorized gaming and affiliate sites. Consequently, since the beginning of ACMA’s enforcement initiative in 2017, about 230 businesses voluntarily eliminated their operations on the Australian market. Moreover, the blocking strategy has been criticized because operators have the mean to create mirror or replacement domains even when original websites are blocked. This issue is significant due to the fact that Australia does not have a licensed domestic market concerning online casino gambling. Hence, consumers seeking online casino services are mostly forced to rely on offshore operators, which do not provide the same consumer protection level as regulated providers, as per ACMA’s warning. It should also be noted that blocking web pages is not the only enforcement weapon used by ACMA. The regulator previously imposed a A$1.9 million fine on Tabcorp over alleged breaches of advertising rules involving promotional text messages sent to self-excluded customers. The continued emergence of replacement domains remains a challenge for Australian authorities as they attempt to limit offshore gambling activity.