ACMA identifies 18 illegal operators as part of Women’s World Cup investigation
Australian Communications and Media Authority revealed that some sites targeted in latest clampdown offered in-play betting and online casino
The post ACMA identifies 18 illegal operators as part of Women’s World Cup investigation first appeared on EGR Intel.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found 18 illegal operators had been offering services in Australia as part of an investigation centred on the Women’s World Cup.
ACMA’s probe began prior to the tournament taking place and continued throughout the event, which ran between 20 July and 20 August last year in Australia and New Zealand.
Of the over 200 “offshore services” reviewed, 21 appeared to directly target Australians without a licence, with 18 were deemed to have breached the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The sites were identified via complaints and intelligence provided by state and local regulators, responsible gambling bodies and licensed operators.
The ACMA notified the 18 operators, the result being that three restricted access to the Australian market after being notified by ACMA about its preliminary findings, while the other 15 had their websites blocked by internet service providers (ISPs) despite being issued with formal warnings.
Commenting on the investigation, ACMA online gambling lead Carolyn Lidgerwood remarked that some of the websites offered online casinos and slots as well as in-play betting.
Online casino gaming is prohibited in the country, while live betting can only be conducted over the phone with a bookmaker.
In December, the ACMA ruled Entain, bet365 and Flutter were in violation of the Interactive Gaming Act by deploying “fast/quick codes” to help facilitate in-play wagering.
Lidgerwood added: “Illegal gambling operations often take advantage of high-profile sporting events to push their services onto fans.
“These sites also offer none of the consumer protections that apply to licensed wagering services in Australia. Using these sites is more than a gamble as you have no rights and even if you win, you may never see the money.”
In March, ACMA requested that ISPs block another eight offshore sites for being in breach of the Interactive Gaming Act.
It meant that since ACMA first made its blocking request in November 2019, a total of 945 gambling and affiliate sites have been barred and 221 “illegal gaming services” have withdrawn from Australia, the regulator said.
The post ACMA identifies 18 illegal operators as part of Women’s World Cup investigation first appeared on EGR Intel.
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