Australia and Curacao Getting Closer to Solution over Illegal Gambling

The regulator has insisted that the Curacao Gaming Control Board (CGCB) must do more to aid ACMA’s efforts to stem the tide of illegal websites that continue to target Australian citizens without serious repercussions. So far, ACMA has blocked more than 950 such websites, prompting many others to leave voluntarily.

ACMA More Hopeful about Cracking Down on Illegal Websites

From the early days, ACMA has been threatening that it would reach out to overseas counterparts and regulators and insist on serious measures to be taken against the licenses of offending websites. Yet, the Australian government has had a very hard time eliciting a response from Curacao in particular, although things have improved considerably.

There has been ongoing communication between Curacao officials from the gambling sector and Australian regulators, indicating that the two countries are closer to taking collaborative measures that should considerably strengthen ACMA’s ability to clamp down on illegal gambling websites and use a much more efficient approach than the piecemeal method it has been following for the past five years.

In a statement to the Guardian, an ACMA spokesperson said that the regulator has been looking to work closely with overseas counterparts. “In relation to Curacao, we have written to them about individual services licensed in their jurisdiction,” ACMA said, arguing that the regulator already knew the names of offending parties and was ready to assist the CGCB in taking the appropriate measures.  

Curacao has acquiesced that its licensing regime needs to change, and it has, with a new Master Gambling License now in place, hoping to strengthen scrutiny and make operators to sit up and listen.

Operators Will Have a Choice to Make

Thanks to these Master licensees, companies will not be able to tether their operations to a subcontractor, which should cancel out the ability of many websites to operate as “licensed” entities. A split is likely to emerge, with conscientious operators valuing the importance of a Curacao license and pulling out of certain markets and practices, while a certain caste of bad actors breaking away and probably continuing to operate without a license but target unauthorized markets.

“We are continuing to explore further regulatory collaboration with overseas gambling regulators and would welcome any opportunity to engage with the Curacao Gaming Authority to share information or coordinate action against the provision of online gambling services in breach of Australian laws,” an ACMA spokesperson told The Guardian.

The likely effect of a collaboration between Curacao and Australia is that ACMA will be able to probably increase the number of blocked websites significantly.