The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued fresh directives to domestic internet service providers (ISPs), ordering them to block access to 12 additional illegal online gambling websites. Following formal investigations, the regulator confirmed that the targeted platforms were actively offering interactive gambling products to Australian citizens in direct violation of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The latest round of enforcement action expands the regulator’s ongoing web-blocking initiative. The 12 blacklisted domains include:
- 7Signs
- ChromaBet
- Donbet
- Duospin
- Freshbet
- Slots Gem
- Jacks Club
- Lucky Start
- Pointsbetz.com
- Spinrise
- Vinyl Casino
- Wildsino
Notably, the ACMA highlighted the domain Pointsbetz.com for utilising a name designed to replicate PointsBet, a licensed Australian operator. The regulator raised serious concerns that the unauthorized platform deliberately cloned or closely mirrored the branding of the legal service provider to deceive consumers into believing they were using a legitimate, permitted platform.
Consumer Protection and the Scope of Web-Blocking
The ACMA uses website blocking as a primary enforcement tool to disrupt offshore operations that refuse to acquire local licensing credentials. Since the regulator initiated its first web-blocking request in November 2019, the total number of blocked illegal gambling and affiliate websites has reached 1,751. Furthermore, sustained enforcement pressure since 2017 has led to more than 230 unlicensed services voluntarily withdrawing from the Australian market.
The authority strongly reminds consumers that even if an offshore platform features sophisticated graphics, responsive customer support, and a professional layout, it remains highly unlikely to possess mandatory player safeguards. Without domestic oversight, consumers risk losing their deposited funds entirely, with zero legal recourse when disputes regarding payouts or fair play arise.
Technical Oversight and Emerging Industry Risks
This latest wave of website blocking forms part of the regulator’s evolving supervisory strategy. While offshore platforms are being blocked at the network level, the ACMA is simultaneously assessing how modern infrastructure changes the operational landscape.
The scope of these modern challenges is discussed in depth within the ACMA report on AI gambling sector risks review, which analyses how machine learning and automated systems are being leveraged by unauthorised operators to evade traditional web filters and rapidly spin up duplicate mirror domains.
Beyond monitoring offshore threats, the regulator is maintaining highly strict oversight on the domestic front to ensure licensed operators adhere to consumer protection frameworks. This dual focus is evident when looking at the ACMA’s self-exclusion compliance breach warnings served to established firms that fail to properly protect vulnerable players who have opted out of interactive wagering.
Broader Domestic Enforcement and Broadcast Standards
The ACMA’s active policing of the interactive space mirrors its strict approach to traditional media and advertising channels. The regulator has made it clear that consumer protection rules must be applied universally across both digital gambling interfaces and mainstream media outlets.
Domestic operators that fail to maintain these boundaries face serious regulatory pushback. For instance, the corporate parent of major brands recently faced severe scrutiny, a development highlighted when ACMA’s Entain Ladbrokes Neds BetStop breach investigations revealed failures in preventing self-excluded individuals from accessing active betting accounts.
Similarly, the media sector faces identical accountability regarding when and how gambling products are presented to the public. The regulator routinely audits broadcast logs, an enforcement focus exemplified by the case where the ACMA found SBS breached gambling advertising rules during live sports programming.
By simultaneously blocking illegal offshore operators, auditing domestic betting systems, and restricting broadcast promotions, the ACMA continues to squeeze unauthorized platforms completely out of the domestic market while ensuring the legal ecosystem remains tightly bound to statutory consumer safety mandates.