Australia’s crackdown on unlicensed online gambling sites under its new gambling laws has forced 33 “prominent” sites to stop operating in the country, according to a report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
The authority said the internationally licensed online gambling sites had withdrawn from the Australian market in the 12 months since the country’s amended gambling laws took effect.
The country’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which took effect on September 13, 2017, banned all online sports betting sites not holding an Australian license as well as online in-play betting, casino or poker products, gambling on credit, and promoting unapproved gambling sites.
The authority said it had concluded 62 investigations in the first year following the act’s passage and found 38 breaches of the law. It then sent notifications to gambling regulators in jurisdictions such as the UK, the U.S., Malta, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney, Kahnawake and Curacao. The authority also contacted 33 software providers and 10 payment processors.
Due to its enforcement, the authority estimates that Aussies gambling at unlicensed sites has fallen by 50 percent.
“Over the past year, we’ve moved decisively to disrupt the provision of illegal offshore gambling to Australians,” ACMA Chairwoman Nerida O’Loughlin said in a press release.
