The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has extended its list of prohibited domains by another 12 websites, as the regulator continues to respond to the rise of illegal online gambling venues.
АCMA Names 12 New Operators as Illegal in Australia
ACMA, as the watchdog is known for its acronym, has moved to suspend the domains over their breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The latest enforcement move targets several prominent domains, including 7Signs, Crhomabet, Donbet, Duospin, Freshbet, Slots Gem, Jacks Club, Lucky Start, and others.
These domains, ACMA alleges, have been operating in the country without the necessary licenses and, in some cases, offering prohibited products such as online casino games of chance that are not allowed in Australia.
ACMA has been adamantly pursuing individual action against operators over and over again, with the media regulator flagging websites, investigating them, and then ordering Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country to cut access to those websites.
ACMA Continues to Block More Gambling Websites
Since the measure was introduced, ACMA has suspended 1,751 illegal gambling and affiliate websites, and it has also gone after a handful of suppliers. Some 230 services have decided to withdraw voluntarily.
However, the issue of illegal gambling websites remains. Most of these operators have chosen to operate illegally and have adapted to the enforcement actions. When ACMA blocks certain domains, the operators are usually prepared to launch new, mirror websites and continue targeting Australians.
This has caused an issue for ACMA, as the regulator takes a painstaking approach to reviewing and banning specific websites.
ACMA has also expanded the scope of its operations, focusing on not only websites, but also people inside the country helping these operators reach customers. Specifically, ACMA has gone after influencers, hoping to disincentivize prominent Internet personalities from advertising gambling websites.