The ACMA, or the Australian Communications and Media Authority, is really cracking down on offshore gambling websites, with another 11 now on the chopping block.
The ACMA has just wrapped up a series of investigations which found that Pokie Island, Rich Palms, Lucky Tiger Casino, Megaslot, Bitkingz, Parimatchwin, Casino Rocket, Montecryptos, Cabarino, Robin Roo, and Jackpot Jill VIP were all operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and as such the ACMA has called for ISPs to block access to the sites.
The ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019 and has since blocked a total of 555 illegal gambling websites. An additional 170 websites have pulled out of the country since the Australian authority began enforcing its stricter illegal gambling rules in 2017.
“Website blocking provides a valuable opportunity to alert the public to illegal gambling services through the messaging that appears when there is an attempt to access the site,” a spokesperson said. “The ACMA is reminding consumers that even if a service looks legitimate, it’s unlikely to have important customer protections. This means Australians who use illegal gambling services risk losing their money.”
The ACMA predicts the blocking of thepokies.net to be the highest profile due to the fact that it saw 30,000 Australian visitors to the site every month and was gaining tens of millions of dollars.
