ACMA Asks Curaçao Government for Help against Illegal Gambling

Having found no success in weeding out Curaçao-based offshore operators from the Australian market, the Australian Communication & Media Authority (ACMA) is now looking for help from the Curaçao government.

Curaçao-based online gambling companies have been a serious problem in Australia. Despite having no license to operate in the country, these companies have been offering their products to local customers for years.

The Australian government, through the ACMA, has asked these companies to cease their illegal operations but to no avail. As the operators have demonstrated no intention to willingly pull back from the Australian market, the ACMA has been forced to seek help from the Curaçao authorities.

The ACMA Hopes to Collaborate with the CGA

Curaçao Finance Minister Javier Silvania received a letter from the Australian regulator, asking him to take action amid the ongoing gambling reforms in the Caribbean nation.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you of the online gaming operators currently operating under Curaçao “master” licenses that the ACMA has found to breach Australian laws by providing or advertising prohibited interactive gambling services to Australian customers.

ACMA letter to Curaçao Finance Minister Javier Silvania

In addition, the ACMA listed the violators that provided or promoted illegal iGaming products in Australia. The letter added that many of these operators rarely, if at all, pay fines.

While the ACMA has sufficient powers to impose penalties, enacting them can sometimes be difficult because of the global nature of online gambling. Because of that, the regulator is now seeking cooperation with relevant authorities.

We are continuing to explore further regulatory collaboration with overseas gambling regulators and would welcome any opportunity to engage with the CGA (Curaçao Gaming Authority) once established, to share information or coordinate action against the provision of online gambling services in breach of Australian laws.

ACMA letter to Curaçao Finance Minister Javier Silvania

The ACMA concluded that it also hopes Curaçao will take the aforementioned breaches in mind when determining whether an operator is suitable to hold a license.

Curaçao May Introduce Reforms

Curaçao, under the guidance of Silvania, has been trying to tighten the rules on gambling in the Caribbean country. However, these efforts do not sit well with everyone as many gambling entities have come to appreciate the island nation for its lax rules.

Unfortunately, however, this lack of strictness has also associated Curaçao with gambling-related crime, money laundering and other illegal activities.

The ACMA, meanwhile, continues to fight illegal gambling in all of its forms. The regulator recently reprimanded a concerning CS:GO skins gambling site that appeals to young players. Prior to that, the body slammed Entain with a fine over online in-play wagers.