Australia’s communications regulator has ordered internet service providers to block Casea and Crown96, bringing the number of illegal gambling and affiliate marketing websites blocked since late 2019 to 1,788.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said its investigations found that both websites were operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
Website blocking is one of several enforcement measures used by the ACMA against illegal offshore gambling operators targeting Australian consumers.
The authority made its first blocking request in November 2019. More than 230 illegal gambling services have also withdrawn from the Australian market since the ACMA began enforcing strengthened offshore gambling rules in 2017.
The ACMA cautioned that illegal services may appear legitimate but are unlikely to provide the consumer protections required of licensed operators.
‘This means Australians who use illegal gambling services risk losing their money,’ the regulator said in its announcement.
Consumers can check whether a wagering service is authorized to operate in Australia through the regulator’s online licensing register.
