Australia is intensifying its crackdown on unregulated gambling websites. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced that internet service providers are to block an additional 10 illegal gambling sites. The latest list includes Zizobet, KingAUD, Lucky Vibe, Daily Spins, Gambiva, Hot Pokies Group, Pokies99, Betcoin, TenoBet, and Lightning-bet.com, all identified by the ACMA as operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
ACMA noted that Lightning-bet.com is designed to mislead customers, resembling a licensed site, LightningBet. Since the implementation of ISP blocks in November 2019, the regulator has banned a total of 1,774 illegal gambling and advertisement sites.
Since 2017, when the ACMA increased its regulatory actions, over 230 foreign gambling service providers have exited the Australian market. The ACMA continues to warn consumers that foreign operators cannot provide the same protections as licensed Australian companies. Therefore, it remains important for players to verify their gambling operators using the ACMA’s public registry of approved betting firms.
