The Authority said Wednesday it has conducted an investigation and uncovered six new service providers that operated illegally in the country. ACMA said the illegal offshore gambling websites operated in breach of the main gambling regulation in the country, the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
As a result, it urged internet service providers (ISPs) in Australia to block access to the websites. The list of recently blocked gambling websites includes 24 Casino, Olympia Casino, Pokie Surf, Stellar Spins, Boomerang Casino and Rock n Reels.
“The ACMA has requested that Australian internet service providers block more illegal offshore gambling websites, after investigations found 6 services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001,“
reads a statement released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority
The Authority’s Crackdown against Illegal Websites Continues
Back in November 2019, ACMA made its first blocking request. Since then, the list of blocked illegal gambling websites has only been growing and by now, 686 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have already been blocked by ISPs in the country. Moreover, since the Authority began enforcing the new rules against illegal offshore gambling operators, more than 190 illegal service providers have voluntarily exited the market iGaming market of the country.
The Authority reiterated that online gambling operators may seem legitimate but at the same time may operate illegally. This, according to ACMA, puts the customers’ funds at risk. At the same time, the Authority reminded that online gamblers can visit its register and check if a gambling service provider currently holds a license in the country.
The latest enforcement action comes after only recently, ACMA expanded once again its list of illegal gambling websites. Back in November, the Authority asked ISPs in the country to block access to nine illegal gambling websites. At the time, the list included 21Bit Casino, Lucky Elf Casino, Oshi Casino, Lets Lucky and NeoSpin, among other gambling websites.
The continuous efforts of ACMA are expected to deliver a positive change, especially considering that its list of blocked illegal websites continues to grow.