Asia Bulletin: ACMA blocks 12 further offshore gambling sites
A number of offshore gambling websites have been hit in the latest wave of block requests by the ACMA.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has submitted a request to Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to 12 additional websites.
An investigation found that these sites were in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which was amended in 2017 to accommodate for new illegal offshore gambling rules.
The sites that were flagged in the investigation include Tsars, Zen Casino, Zen Betting, Cleopatra Casino, Goodman Casino, Zoome Casino, Yabby Casino, Neon54, Rabona, 5Gringos, AlfCasino and 1Red.
It’s unclear how each of these violated the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 specifically, but some of the more common violations from this act include advertising real-money interacting gambling services or bonuses to Australian citizens.
Since the first offshore gambling rules were enforced, over 200 services have been deemed illegal and pulled from the market.
An additional 785 gambling and affiliate websites are also blocked by ISPs, which began directly blocking access to users in November 2019, following a request by the ACMA.
As part of its statement, the ACMA wrote: “The ACMA is reminding consumers that even if a service looks legitimate, it’s unlikely to have important customer protections.
“This means Australians who use illegal gambling services risk losing their money. You can check if a wagering service is licensed to operate in Australia on our register.”
In a report compiled by Responsible Wagering Australia, it was found that illegal offshore gambling could cost Australians AU$3bn (US$2bn) in lost taxes, between 2022 and 2027.
This isn’t the only clampdown on regulatory matters in Australia, though, as earlier today it was announced that new gaming compliance inspections would begin across New South Wales, Australia.
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