As part of the ongoing crackdown on offshore casino sites that are deemed to be breaching the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 in Australia, The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a new request addressing the main internet service providers in the country to block nine more gambling platforms located offshore. The targeted casinos are, as follows: Joe Fortune, Roo Casino, AU Slots, WagerBet, GW Casino, Casino Dingo, Ignition Casino, Xbet and Top Bet. These are some of the Aussie players' favourite platforms, so the recent news will certainly be a big hit for some passionate gamblers who used to wager here periodically.
The regulator has recorded a total of 79 complaints that have been submitted in regards to the nine previously mentioned online casinos. That's less than 9 complaints per casino, which might not sound too much for the average player acquainted with various types of communication misunderstandings specific to joining a new offshore casino online. Often times, confusion about the use of bonus codes, wagering requirements or player verification regulations could easily lead to a player filing a complaint against the casino, with the venue later on finding a solution in favour of the player.
Australian players have been warned to withdraw any remaining funds they may still have on these websites. The good news is they can use these funds in legal casinos online that address the needs of Australian players. Our platform provides you with the freshest casino reviews in the industry, so go to our casino reviews page now if you want to find some quick replacements.
In November 2019, the ACMA ordered ISPs to block the first two offshore web casinos as part of the new illegal gambling rules addressing offshore casinos. The two casinos were Fair Go Casino and Emu Casino. According to an ACMA statement, Emu Casino has already left the Aussie virtual gambling market and its former registered players are given permission to make withdrawal requests for their remaining funds via their customer support. All withdrawals are accepted and granted to Australian players.
The illegal websites' blocking procedures are underway according to the Telecommunications Act, section 313, that states each block must be agreed upon and officially signed off by the chair and a deputy chair or a senior executive. However, each of the illegal offshore casino blocking requests is bound to expire after a predefined period of time. If the regulator's officials do not act in time, many of these requests will not be granted and ISPs will not be able to block the respective platforms.
There are more than ninety offshore online casinos that have already left the Australian market starting 2017 when the ACMA began to enforce the new regulations concerning offshore gambling. The Authority has been able to order domestic Internet Service Providers to forbid access to these platforms since the end of 2019. Nonetheless, Australians who love a punt still have plenty of solid alternatives online.
ACMA will continue to keep a close eye on the disruption of access to these targeted websites to ensure it is done effectively and responsibly and that there are no execution flaws.
