ACMA names more sites to add to blacklist

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has revealed the names of nine more gambling and affiliate operators that have been added to the regulator’s blacklist. The list is a measure that ACMA uses to restrict access to rogue websites in Australia, particularly those that have been advertising black market gambling products to locals.

The inclusion of Stay Casino, Bambet, Dazard Casino, Level Up Casino, Rocketplay Casino, Wild Tornado Casino, Cobra Casino, Cobra Bet, Casinority, and Pokies Lab brings the total number of black operators in Australia to 481. This comes on top of the 160 websites that have chosen to leave voluntarily as they lack a proper license to operate.

Commenting on the latest additions to the list, ACMA stated that consumers must stay vigilant and avoid gambling websites that do not have a license handed to them by a central authority. There are numerous regulators in Australia but none offers an online casino license, nor approves affiliates that advertise such brands.

ACMA has flagged hundreds of websites explaining that they all breach the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 as they have no viable license to run their products in the country. This suspension comes on top of another one in April, when ACMA blocked another six websites that have been offering casino gambling and sports to Australians.

While the regulator has had to expend time and effort since it began running the blacklist in 2019, it has already achieved significant progress. Some have criticized ACMA’s piecemeal approach calling it inefficient in the past, but fast forward to 2022, and the regulator has been doing a good job.

Meanwhile, Australia is undergoing a restructuring of its land-based gambling industry with regulatory changes coming to Victoria, New South Wales, and most recently Queensland. All of these states have now introduced amendments to their gambling frameworks.

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