ACMA issues formal warning to Sterplay Holding over Casino Intense service
According to ACMA, Sterplay Holding contravened subsection 15(2A) of the Gambling Act by providing prohibited interactive gambling services to customers physically present in Australia.
Key points:
– ACMA has issued a formal warning to Sterplay Holding for offering unlicensed gambling services to Australians via Casino Intense
– The service breached section 15(2A) of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001
– The warning forms part of ACMA’s ongoing crackdown on illegal offshore gambling platforms
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a formal warning to Sterplay Holding for breaching Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) by offering prohibited interactive gambling services to Australian customers through its online platform, Casino Intense.
The warning, issued on 2 April 2025, follows an investigation by ACMA that concluded the Casino Intense platform provided casino-style games involving money or other forms of consideration to players located in Australia.
Under section 15(2A) of the IGA, it is a civil offence to offer such services to Australian residents without proper licensing.
ACMA’s findings confirm that Casino Intense met the criteria of a “prohibited interactive gambling service” under the Act. Specifically, the service included games of chance or mixed chance and skill, operated over an internet carriage service, and had an Australian-customer link – meaning users physically present in Australia were able to access the site.
Sterplay Holding, which is registered in Belize, has now received a formal warning under section 64A of the IGA.
Good to know: ACMA continues to remind consumers that unlicensed online casinos are illegal in Australia and urges users to report suspicious services via its website
This decision is part of ACMA’s broader enforcement strategy targeting illegal gambling platforms and unlicensed offshore operators.
In the first quarter of 2025, ACMA intensified its enforcement activity, completing 22 investigations and identifying breaches in every case.
The regulator referred 61 websites for ISP blocking and issued multiple formal warnings to operators, including those behind Billy Billion, Woo Casino and Crown Slots.
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