ACMA blocking crusade continues with more affiliates taken down

Several offshore gambling and affiliate marketing websites have been blocked by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

The authority detailed that it had requested internet service providers (ISPs) to block websites such as Casino Moons, Winnerama, Extra Vegas, Win Paradise, LegitGamblingSites.com and Gamblers Lab.

After investigating the sites, the ACMA concluded that the sites were operating in breach of Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001, stating that blocking is one of a ‘range of enforcement options’ at its disposal to confront illegal betting.

“The ACMA is reminding consumers that even if a service looks legitimate, it’s unlikely to have important customer protections,” the ACMA statement read.  

“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.”

The ACMA first made a blocking request in November 2019. Since then, 568 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been taken down.

In August of last year, the Authority announced that it was ‘stepping up’ its blocking activities and campaign against illegal gambling in Australia, adding websites that promoted and drove traffic to black market operators to its list of targets. 

This decision expanded the authority’s blocking remit to include illegal and/or offshore affiliate marketing sites, which the ACMA stated ‘present themselves as independent reviews of gambling services’.

Commenting at the time, Fiona Cameron, ACMA Authority Member, said: “These marketing sites can push you to illegal gambling services that do not have the protections that go with licensed and regulated services.

“We often get complaints from consumers that winnings are not honoured and that incentives and pressure tactics target problem gamblers.”

In other developments, the ACMA has also moved to strengthen its safer gambling operations in recent months, detailing progress on the launch of BetStop, a national self-exclusion registry produced by Engine, the firm behind the UK’s GAMSTOP service.