ACMA warns Proxous Advanced Solutions Ltd

Call the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) dogged if you will but illegal gambling sites are a bone that the regulator will simply not let go of. ACMA has issued its latest formal warning to Proxous, officially known as Proxous Advanced Solutions Limited, and told the operator to stop providing interactive solutions to offending websites in breach of existing Australian gambling laws.

Proxous is responsible for supplying software through a sub-license to 13 online casinos that the regulator claims are operating without the proper authorization in Australia. This is not difficult to believe, given that online casinos are not allowed in the country at all. According to ACMA, the sub-licensing concerned Realtime Gaming (RTG)-branded software products that were found at the casinos were in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Proxous is the master license holder for RTG.

ACMA went further to list the websites that it considers to be operating illegally and offering interactive products that are prohibited, to wit Aussie Play, Reels of Joy, Bo Vegas, Uptown Pokies, Ozwin Casino, Fair Go Casino, Red Dog Casino, Uptown Aces, Cherry Gold Casino, Slots Empire, and Play Croco, among others.

ACMA specifically said that the software used by all of these brands is provided by Realtime Gaming, establishing a connection with Proxous. ACMA is also stepping up its efforts against illegal gambling websites, but what is different in this warning is the fact that for the first time since it launched its blacklist in 2017, the regulator is actually targeting companies that are related to gambling but not directly providing it.

Crackdown on illegal gambling websites has been commonplace, but ACMA has actually refrained from making bigger demands on software providers. The regulator did target some affiliate networks, though, which was another blow to the offshore gambling market which has lingered in the hopes that it will not be targeted.

ACMA is making a very strong case for illegal gambling operators to quit the markets and seek the means to operate legally. While such blacklists have been deemed largely inefficient, ACMA is bucking that trend proving that not only can they have good results, but they also help protect consumers. Crackdowns against illegal gambling sites are set to release with ACMA having developed valuable expertise that will help it clean Australia's consumers safe.

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