The ACMA has blocked a further 12 allegedly illegal gambling sites
On June 21, 2023 ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) has added another dozen suspected illegal gambling sites to its blacklist from blocked sites. It’s the latest enforcement action as the agency has been on a tear in blocking gaming websites.
Website blocking has been the main tactic the ACMA has used over the past few years. The ACMA requires ISPs to block citizens from accessing specific URLs and websites that they believe offer gambling services to Australians.
The ACMA enforces the Interactive Gambling Act
The ACMA mainly enforces rules and regulations relating to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The Interactive Gambling Act was amended in 2016 and mainly amended the laws to prohibit all offshore operators from offering gambling services to Australians. There are a few licensed sportsbooks, but all other gaming sites are considered illegal by the ACMA.
The ACMA enforces Australia’s gambling lawsThe ACMA continued to enforce Australian gambling laws very strictly in an attempt to enforce the amended Gambling Act. The problem here is that it creates confusion for Australian consumers who want to gamble safely online. The ACMA’s tactics likely steer players towards more shady, unscrupulous operators, as the agency has blocked so many reputable and reliable sites, such as Ignition Casino and Poker.
About blocked sites
Looking at the list of sites ACMA has blocked this time around, it’s clear that most of the sites operate very similarly. These sites offer casino games such as slots, roulette and blackjack to online players. The ACMA claims that these sites must hold a valid license and be based in Australia, which is not one of the blocked sites.
There are a total of twelve gambling websites added to the ACMA’s growing blacklist. Blocked sites can be found below:
- Zen casino
- Kings
- Casino Cleopatra
- Zen betting
- Zoome casino
- Neon54
- Casino Yabby
- Goodman Casino
- 5 Gringos
- Rabona
- 1RED
- AlfCasino
If we look at one of the most popular sites that was blocked, Yabby Casino, we can see what types of gambling are on offer. Most of these brands are similar to Yabby Casino in that they only offer casino games; however, there are a few that also offer sports betting, such as Rabona.
Yabby Casino is somewhat popular in AustraliaACMA blocked twelve sites
The twelve sites above have been added to ACMA’s blacklist of blocked URLs. This means that Australian ISPs have been asked to stop allowing players to access these sites and the ISPs have complied.
Since the ACMA first blocked sites in 2019, there are now a total of 785 allegedly illegal gambling and affiliate sites on this blacklist. In addition, there have been more than 200 operators that have pulled out of the Australian market since the agency began implementing new regulations in 2017.
ACMA has blocked numerous sites
Ever since 2019, when this type of enforcement first began, there have been numerous online gambling sites added to the growing blacklist. Back in December 2022, the ACMA blocked Pokizino and ABA Lucky 33. Two months later in February 2023, the ACMA blocked six more gambling sites.
Just one month later in March 2023, the ACMA blocked another seven gambling sites and one partner site called No Deposit Kings. Shortly after, in May 2023, the ACMA blocked three gaming sites and issued a formal warning to CS:GO Roll for providing gambling using video game skins.
The effectiveness of ACMA’s efforts is questionable at best. Players can easily use a VPN or change their DNS settings to bypass these restrictions. Also, many of the blocked casinos simply create new URLs in an endless loop that ACMA cannot succeed.
Safe online gambling and poker are still available in Australia
The ACMA’s brutal tactics regarding Australian gambling have certainly created a bit of confusion for Australian players who wish to gamble safely. Fortunately, there are still many reputable operators serving Australians offering online poker and casino games.
If you are interested in finding a reliable online poker site that caters to Australian players, please feel free to browse this page dedicated to the best online poker sites for Australians.
Perhaps you are more interested in casino gambling? If so, don’t worry as there are reliable and trustworthy options for Australian citizens. To learn more about the top rated online casinos serving Australians, check out our guide to online casinos in Australia.
When it comes to online casino games like slots and blackjack, Joe Fortune Casino is our top recommendation for Australian players. Joe Fortune boasts a large selection of slots, table games and live dealer games, and the site offers many valuable bonuses. Click the button below to sign up and start working at Joe Fortune today.
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