ACMA Continues to Block Gaming Brands, Four More Added to the List

ACMA, Australia’s media communications regulator, has suspended four more casino brands, adding to a constantly-growing list of blacklisted operators.

ACMA Blocks Access to Four New Casinos in Australia

Australia continues to toughen its stance on unlicensed gambling operations as the country’s media regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), has suspended four new websites, adding to a continuously growing list of online casino sites that do not have a valid Australian gaming license.

ACMA launched and concluded probes, finding irregularities with the operations of Always Vegas, Gibson Casino, Malibu Club Casino and Viggoslots, which were all suspended due to breaches of the country’s active regulation in online gambling matters, the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act.

The regulator acted based on tips from consumers and urged anyone playing at those brands to withdraw their funds. It has been over three years since ACMA began blocking websites en masse, suspending operators that violate Australian gambling regulation, and threatening to pursue offenders.

Casino Regulation in Australia Toughens

So far, ACMA’s list includes 180 brands. In August, the media regulator blocked 8 offshore gambling brands reminding consumers once again to seek and withdraw their money from the affected websites. The regulator put in a request with ISPs to suspend access to Planet 7 Oz, Ace Pokies, Nordicasino, Reeltastic, Spintropolis, Enzo Casino, Times Square Casino, and Royal Spinz.

Customers who submitted complaints cited a range of reasons for the blockage request, from poor customer treatment to withholding winnings without stating a clear reason. Thanks to the power vested into ACMA by the Telecommunications Act, the regulator has been able to suspend access to brands that fail to meet regulatory and consumer protection standards.

In July, ACMA suspended a number of brands, including Happy Hugo, Mucho Vegas Casino, Kahuna Casino, Rich Casino, Box 24 Casino, Bondi Bet, JokaRoom, Omni Slots, Fruits 4 Real, XPokies, and Slottica, a total of 11 in one regulatory move.

ACMA acted on similar complaints in January and May 2020. Since ACMA started fighting offshore gambling in 2017 and implemented the website blocking feature in November 2019, the regulator has been delivering public messages in order to boost awareness about the downsides of opting for offshore gaming sites, citing poor customer support, lack of proper consumer practices, and more.

Some 100 brands have been forced to leave Australia since ACMA began enforcing a regulatory rule that requires all entities to be licensed in the country. Lack of such a license could result in complaints sent to operators’ main licensing authorities, which has prompted a steady exodus over the past three years.