ACMA begins blocking campaign against illegal gambling websites

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will begin a ‘fresh wave of enforcement action’ against unauthorised gambling websites deemed to be target national consumers.

The watchdog has issued a request to Australian internet service providers (ISPs), who have been ordered to block “eight more illegal offshore gambling websites and affiliate marketing domains.”

The order has been imposed on the websites of Casino Jax, Mirax Casino, Wild Fortune Casino, Kosmonaut Casino, Slotozen, Rolling Slots, N1 Bet Casino and No Deposit Kings – deemed to have infringed on the Interactive Gambling Act 2001,

Since the ACMA made its first blocking request, 709 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked.

In addition, more than 180 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the statutory authority started enforcing new illegal offshore gambling rules in 2017.

Alongside this latest action, the ACMA also issued a reminder to customers that “even if a service looks legitimate, its unlikely to have important customer protections. This means Australians who use illegal gambling services risk losing their money.”

Last month, BetDeluxe owner Noah Rose was ordered to pay a A$50,172 penalty following a crackdown on spam advertising.

An inspection was said to have discovered that the group sent over 104,000 SMS without an unsubscribe function, as well as more than 820,000 that did not contain the sender’s contact details.

These communications, sent between December 2021 and February 2022, were said to have advertised a ‘cheeky punt’ and ‘VIP service’ on sports and racing, in addition to promoting bonus bets and money-back offers.

Nerida O’Loughlin, ACMA Chair, commented: “We received complaints from a significant number of people, with many expressing their frustration about receiving promotions for gambling,” she said.

“Any spam can be annoying, but when gambling is involved the risk of financial and emotional harm can be pronounced, so it’s important that wagering operators take compliance very seriously.”