Australian Government Uses ISPs to Clamp Down on Offshore Casinos

Australian gambling regulation always feels like a tricky minefield to navigate. However, since the Interactive Gambling Act (2001) was established, it is easy to understand but unnecessarily convoluted.

Here are the basics:

• It is unlawful for offshore casino sites to advertise in Australia.
• Australian gambling businesses may only offer games of chance to people outside the country.
• Unregulated chance games include slots, table games, live casino games, and betting services.

The one caveat to all the above is that while it is illegal for gambling sites to promote their services in Australia, it is not unlawful for Australian players to gamble online. Players can access, deposit, and play with any online casino without fear of reprisal.

 ACMA Limits Offshore Access

Without a legal way to stop Australian gamblers from playing online, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) decided to cut off the life support system that all online casinos need to survive – its internet access.

The Australian government requested that all local internet service providers (ISPs) block a new list of nine online casinos from the region. The enforcement of this request means that any Australian punter trying to visit one of these sites will be met with a ‘stop page’ that blocks them from accessing any content on the page, including their current player accounts.

With the addition of these nine new sites, the ACMA has had local ISPs block a total of 642 casino and betting sites. Interestingly, only 180 of these have made the decision to exit the market entirely.

What Do Players Need to Do Next?

Given Australia's unorthodox approach to addressing offshore gambling, local players can choose whether to continue playing at their favourite sites or find new ones to join.

Locals with accounts at Winning Days, 21Bit Casino, Oshi Casino, Lucky Elf Casino, NeoSpin, Lets Lucky, Boho Casino, Ripper Casino and BC Game can choose to contact customer support via email to close their accounts. Be sure to withdraw any remaining funds as part of the process. The alternative action is to continue to play using a VPN to bypass the IP restrictions.

Given that it is not unlawful for Aussie gamblers to play at offshore casinos, there will be no change in their experience other than using a VPN to connect. Transacting online via a VPN is an excellent way to secure your information, so we support it.