The powers of the communications watchdog for Australia are reportedly getting a serious upgrade that will allow it to battle the scourge of unscrupulous online gambling websites, via the use of local banning orders.
In a Monday story from The Guardian newspaper that referred to an earlier report from the Australian Associated Press news service, Australians regularly spend close to $280 million every year with foreign online gambling operators but often have trouble when attempting to recoup winnings and deposits.

Powerful proposals

The newspaper detailed how the improved powers due to be given to the Australian Communications and Media Authority would satisfy only one of three legislative recommendations that emerged following a 2015 nationwide review into interactive gambling. This evaluation was allegedly led by the former Premier of New South Wales, Barry O’Farrell, and contained 19 specific proposals on how the nation could more effectively combat predatory online gaming operators.

Permit prohibition

The Guardian reported that the Australian Communications and Media Authority will soon have the ability to conduct investigations into suspicious offshore online casino and sports betting sites and order local Internet service providers to block access if appropriate enforcement actions are not possible.

A welcome endowment

Nerida O’Loughlin, Chair for the Australian Communications and Media Authority, reportedly advised the news service that the improved powers are a vital tool in the quest to dismantle the presence of illicit online gambling as there is now ‘little to no recourse for consumers engaging with these unscrupulous operators’.
Apparently, some 65 illegal iGaming operators have ceased offering their services to gamblers in Australia since O’Loughlin’s organization began implementing a range of new enforcement rules in 2017.

A worthwhile fight

Paul Fletcher, Australia’s Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, revealed that offshore online gambling operations account for approximately $69 million in lost tax revenues annually and players often falling victim to fraud with these sites as opposed to legal online casinos, typically containing ‘very few if any, harm-minimization controls.’

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has warned Australian residents to remove all funds they may have currently held in offshore unlicensed gambling websites before access to them is shut off.

Sites that have been highlighted as taking bets from Australian players include Curacao based Emu Casino and FairGo Casino and are among the first such sites to be blocked at ISP level in Australia according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has said that they will request Australian Internet Service Providers to block identified gambling sites targeting Australian players, using powers provided to them by the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

Chairperson of the ACMA, Nerida O’Loughlin, commenting on the move, stated: “In many cases, these sites refuse to pay significant winnings or only a small portion.”

“Customers had also experienced illegal operators continuing to withdraw funds from their bank account without authorization. There is little to no recourse for consumers engaging with these unscrupulous operators. If you have funds deposited with an illegal gambling site, you should withdraw those funds now.”

“Many illegal offshore gambling websites target Australians by using Australian themes and images, such as the Australian flag and native animals.”

The Australian Minister for Federal Communications, Paul Fletcher, estimates that Australian players had access to over 1,000 unlicensed online gambling sites, causing the country to miss out on over $100m of tax revenues.

Fletcher commenting about the action to be taken by the ACMA, said: “Too often these offshore operators are defrauding Australians and their websites typically provide very few if any, harm minimization controls. Consumers have no recourse to retrieve their money.”

Fletcher also confirmed that the ACMA also had other powers at its disposal, such as issuing formal warnings and civil penalty notices, although he did admit that these were difficult to enforce against overseas operators.

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