The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued blocking orders for an additional twelve gambling websites that are allegedly operating unlawfully in the country.
The ACMA determined that Zebet, Zeturf, Slot Vibe, Arlekin Casino, Johnnie Kash Kings, Lucky Star, Horus Casino, 21 Dukes, Tangiers Casino, 7 Reels, Winward Casino, and Thebes Casino were all in breach of Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, following a series of investigations by the ACMA. The ACMA has requested that Australian internet service providers (ISPs) restrict access to each website.
Since the ACMA initially requested website blocking in November 2019, Australia has blocked three hundred and ninety-nine illegal websites.
Furthermore, the agency stated that over one hundred and sixty illegal operators have withdrawn from the Australian market since the ACMA began enforcing illegal offshore gambling regulations in 2017.
The ACMA stated, “Website blocking provides a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of unlawful gambling services through the prompt messages that appear when attempting to access the websites.”
A new research project in Australia uncovered that more than 10% of the population participated in web-based wagering at least once during the six-month period ending in June of 2021. The research, published by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), also brought to light recent enforcement actions.
While the majority of bettors selected authorized online gambling alternatives, 5% confessed to utilizing unlicensed offshore websites or applications during the six-month timeframe.
Among individuals aged 18 to 34, approximately 11% used these sites, in contrast to just 2% of those aged 45 and older. An additional 6% stated they were uncertain about the origin of their services, while 89% exclusively gambled with authorized operators.
This month, Flutter Entertainment’s Australian brand Sportsbet was instructed to pay A$3.7 million (£2 million/€2.43 million/$2.7 million) for transmitting unsolicited text messages and email marketing to patrons.
The payment encompasses a record A$2.5 million infringement notice, with the operator pledging to reimburse A$1.2 million to consumers.
The agreement was reached following an ACMA investigation that discovered Sportsbet dispatched over 150,000 marketing text messages and emails to more than 37,000 customers who had attempted to opt out.
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