Internet service providers must block illegal online gambling and affiliate websites according to the ACMA’s direction. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 prohibits these operations. Nine additional illegal online gambling and affiliate websites face blocking after the ACMA requested that internet service providers take action. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found these services breaking the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 through investigations.

The blocklist now includes Cashed, King Maker, Posido, Spinight, Spinsy, The Pokies Reviews and Topio Networks. These latest sites join many others already blocked. The regulator identified next2go-au(.com) and wizbet(.app) as imitation sites. Licensed Australian services Next2Go and WizBet were being copied by these websites. ACMA uses website blocking within its broader strategy for protecting Australian consumers. Unlicensed gambling operators pose risks that this enforcement tool addresses.

ACMA Intensifies Crackdown on Illegal Gambling Websites

November 2019 marked the first time the regulator made its first blocking request. Since then, 1,369 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been successfully blocked. Strengthened online gambling regulations began in 2017 with the ACMA’s enforcement. Approximately 220 illegal services withdrew from the Australian market voluntarily after this started. Essential consumer protections are missing from unlicensed gambling services. The regulator stressed this point regardless of how legitimate these services look.

These platforms put Australians at risk of financial loss. Regulatory oversight and dispute resolution mechanisms don’t cover illegal operators. A public register exists where consumers can verify wagering services. ACMA maintains this to show which services hold valid Australian licences. October saw ACMA issue formal warnings to multiple offshore operators. The blocking action followed these recent enforcement activities. Unlicensed casino and betting services targeted Australian customers from various jurisdictions. Those warnings went to companies operating from Curaçao, the Netherlands and the Comoros Islands.