The Australian Communications and Media Authority is investigating a potential scam by illegal offshore gambling sites that are deceptively using the internet domain code of a remote Australian territory.
The sites are using domain codes from Cocos Islands—an Australian territory located 3,000 kilometers from Perth in the Indian Ocean. The sites are said to actually be based in Europe and the Caribbean, but are using the island’s online domain code.
According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Company, the authority is concerned that Australian citizens are playing at the unlicensed casino and sports betting sites.
“When deciding if a site should be investigated, the ACMA considers a number of factors, including whether the service being provided may be a prohibited or unlicensed service … and whether it may have an Australian-customer link,” an ACMA spokesman told the ABC.
Monash University gambling law expert Dr. Charles Livingstone also told the network that there was no doubt the sites were breaking Australian law.
“The avowed purpose of the IGA is to protect Australians from less well-regulated gambling sites and to prohibit non-wagering gambling being available online,” he said. “Using a web address of an Australian territory to offer online gambling services is an offence, unless the provider is registered in an Australian jurisdiction.”
