The Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) has urged authorities in Curaçao to cease allowing online casinos to target Australian consumers, as it adds more operators to its blacklist.
Offshore gambling companies have been prohibited from targeting Australians, with a significant number of nearly 1,000 blocked websites being licensed in Curaçao. This Caribbean island, located off the coast of Venezuela, has become a hotspot for online casinos due to limited regulatory oversight.
According to a report by The Guardian, Acma has engaged in discussions with overseas regulatory bodies regarding individual services licensed in Curaçao on six occasions, following a June meeting with the regulator to establish contact.
The agency has emphasized its enforcement and disruption efforts against illegal services, highlighting its efforts to address concerns related to the Curaçao regulatory framework and specific services licensed in the jurisdiction.
Despite Acma’s actions, more than two dozen gambling websites based in Curaçao have been blacklisted, although some remain operational, promoting themselves as the “best Australian online casino website” and offering lucrative bonuses to attract Australian players.
In response to these challenges, Curaçao is undergoing reforms in its online gambling industry, with the establishment of the Curaçao Gaming Authority, which will grant licences based on companies’ track records. Moving forward, master licence holders will no longer be able to sub-license for a fee.
