ACMA hits another set of offshore gambling sites with ISP blocks

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has struck out against a new set of offshore gambling sites.

The regulator acknowledged in an official statement found on its website that the services in question – eight in total – have been offering games of chance and sports betting products to local players without the necessary licenses.

More websites found in breach of IGA 2001

To clarify, Australia only regulates sports betting online and prohibits all forms of online casinos on the Internet. ACMA has named the following eight websites as having breached the country’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and has requested blocks by Internet Service Providers:

• JokaRoom
• AUDPokies888
• Aura Play
• Instant Casino
• Leon
• Rich Papa
• UUSpin
• Wild Pokies

ACMA has been one of the most persistent regulators in the world, having started this initiative in 2019, and adding more than 1,154 websites to its list ever since. Some 200-odd services had left before the beginning of ISP blocks, as ACMA threatened to take issue with overseas regulators and threaten their licenses in jurisdictions where online casinos are legal.

Regardless of the lengthy process that it takes to block a website, ACMA has kept at it, with the latest ban also used as a reminder to players – people should not be playing at offshore gambling services that do not have the necessary licenses.

ACMA moves at a steady but somewhat slow clip

The regulator has urged the public to steer clear from unlicensed websites and remember that even if a website appears to be a legitimate service, it could be only designed to emulate licensed services.

ACMA has kept at its goal of cracking down on the illegal gambling sector in the country, with the regulator publishing a recent review of its Q4 enforcement and investigation efforts.

At the same time, countries such as Brazil have been adding to their list of illegal gambling sites at a much more rapid clip, with thousands of websites already featured in the country’s blacklist.

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