The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested that internet service providers (ISPs) in the nation block access to offshore gambling websites operated by Kings Chance Service.
Following an investigation into the brand, the ACMA discovered that Kings Chance Service breached the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. Consequently, the agency decided that Kings Chance Service was operating unlawfully in Australia and requested ISPs to block access to its online gambling platforms.
Since acquiring new enforcement capabilities in November 2019, the ACMA has started issuing blocking requests. Since these powers became effective, 272 gambling websites considered to be operating illegally have been blocked.
These include Bao Casino, Pokie Place, Reels of Joy, and Ozwin Casino, which the ACMA instructed to be blocked in April of this year. Furthermore, over 130 unlicensed services have withdrawn from the Australian market since the agency began enforcing new illegal offshore gambling regulations in 2017.
“Website blocking offers a valuable chance to raise awareness of illegal gambling services by providing a timely message to the public when they try to access the website,” stated the ACMA.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) recently declared that it had contracted Engine Australia, a technology provider, to construct the nation’s inaugural national self-exclusion registry for online and mobile gambling. This announcement follows a recent surge in demands for more stringent regulations.
The platform will be supervised by the ACMA and enable users to voluntarily exclude themselves from all licensed interactive wagering service providers. Self-exclusions will initially be enforced for a minimum period of three months, with the option for users to extend their exclusion to a permanent opt-out from accessing such gambling services.
Engine previously designed and developed Gamstop, the self-exclusion program for the UK Gambling Commission, which was introduced in 2018.
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