ACMA Blocks Six More Illegal Gambling Sites in Australia
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has stepped up its efforts to combat illegal gambling by ordering ISPs to block six sites. This is the latest in a series of actions by the regulator against breaches of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
Latest Sites Blocked
The latest sites to be blocked are Eddy Vegas, Lucky Friends, Lucky Ones, MoonWin, Slottie, and SpinsUP. They were found to be offering unlicensed online gambling to Australian customers, against the law.
ACMA’s ISP blocking measure, introduced in 2019, is part of a wider effort to shut down illegal gambling. Over 1,117 gambling and affiliate sites have been blocked under this measure. More than 220 illegal operators have left the Australian market since ACMA started enforcing tougher rules in 2017.
This is to protect consumers and ensure compliance with Australian gambling laws which only allow licensed operators that meet strict regulations.
The authority is warning consumers about the risks of illegal gambling services, with no deposit protection and no fair payouts. ACMA advises Australians to check operators on its public register of licensed wagering services to avoid financial loss.
BetStop and Legislative Changes
ACMA’s reach expanded in 2023 with agreements with all six Australian state and territory governments to oversee BetStop, the national self-exclusion scheme for gambling. BetStop launched in August 2023 and allows Australians to self-exclude from gambling across all states and territories.
BetStop has already had 40,000 self-exclusions and the federal government has launched a statutory review led by Richard Eccles. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 was also amended based on the 2023 Murphy Report recommendations.
While ACMA’s enforcement is moving forward, the advertising reforms are still in limbo. The Murphy Report recommended a three year phase in to ban online gambling ads. But the media and sports sectors which rely heavily on gambling revenue are resisting and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delayed the final decision until 2025.
