ACMA investigation into illegal online gambling sites leads to 90 blocked websites

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has published a report into its investigations from April to June, 2022, resulting in 90 blocked websites. Many of them offered illegal gambling services.

The ACMA is the main regulator of online gambling in Australia. Their job is to crack down on websites disobeying licencing and communication laws. But obviously the internet is a big place, and the ACMA’s focus is less on shutting down illegal sites completely and more about upsetting the flow of traffic to them.

Websites posing as 3rd-party reviewers

Firstly, many of the offending websites pose as fair reviewers; often appearing as ‘top 5’ or ‘top 10’ review articles. Furthermore, the articles highlight illegal sites to readers, despite looking like balanced reviews. This encourages readers to sign up. It’s an easy trap to fall into when direct links to the illegal websites are provided with the click of a button.

Many of these sites are thankfully spotted early on by players, who can then complain to the ACMA. Not all websites are blocked after investigations as some are given formal warnings. Internet service providers receive referrals for others and can take proper action.

An uphill battle

The AMCA are fighting an increasingly hard battle, especially given the ease of setting up a website online. Promoting or driving traffic towards illegal sites will often get you a commission. This can be a pretty sweet deal if your click rate is high enough.

As internet users, we can take extra steps to double check new websites aren’t a scam. Reading reviews is really important for buying any new product. Before signing up to a new service, try reading many different reviews across different websites. This will help you stay safe from scams.