In an incredible show of strength, the Australian Communications and Media Authority blocked eight online casinos, illegally offering games of chance to local players.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has decided to remove the kit gloves and ban several online casinos that have recently generated a slew of complaints from local players. These new bans bring the number of blocked websites to more than 500.
Speaking on the main culprit, Nerida O’Loughlin, ACMA Chair, said:
“We have received more complaints about thepokies.net this year than any other illegal gambling website, and it is clearly doing a lot of harm to the Australian community,”
What is interesting about this development is that according to the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) 2001, offering online casino games of chance is illegal in Australia. However, the AMCA imposed ban is not the legality of the offering but the substance of the player complaints.
Is Online Gambling Allowed or Not?
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 is very clear about what is and what is not allowed in terms of online gambling in Australia:
It really could not be simpler than that. It is illegal if the gambling site offers games of chance such as online slots, blackjack, roulette, video poker and others.
When determining what this means for local online and mobile casino players, the waters tend to get a little murky. The short answer is that it doesn't mean anything to them. Australian citizens can legally play at any offshore online casino they like without fear of falling foul of the Australian legal system.
To summarise, an online casino cannot legally get a license to offer games of chance to Australian players. However, Australian players can play at any online casino without fear of legal action.
Why Are These Sites Being Targeted?
While Australia is not a regulated online casino jurisdiction, it still has the well-being of its citizens as its priority. In the case of the banned casino site, the AMCA did not care about players gambling with them until they began to bilk punters out of their winnings.
O’Loughlin said:
“Complaints have ranged from people who have lost significant amounts of money through to the site refusing to honour deposits and winnings.”
While ThePokies was at the centre of the AMCA messaging around this issue, they were not the only casino website to be hit with the ban hammer. The AMCA confirmed that it enforced the same ISP ban on seven other online casino sites. O’Loughlin shared that the intent behind these bans is to remind offshore casinos that while the Australian government might allow its citizens to play online, it will not stand idly while these sites try to defraud them.
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