The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which is the media regulatory body of Australia, has revealed that it is checking the legality of several offshore gambling websites which use local web addresses.
As revealed by ABC, the investigation is affecting a number of offshore betting websites which use web addresses from the Cocos Islands, an external Australian territory situated in the Indian Ocean. The islands are currently under the regulation and control of Australia but have a separate Internet country code (.cc).
The websites in question offer a variety of online casino games and live sports betting options, including Capital Territory soccer, Super Netball and Big V basketball. In addition, a number of websites offer their visitors the opportunity to use Bitcoin in order to fun their accounts.
According to media reports, the actual location of the gambling websites in question can be tracked to the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and several other locations, but in any case, they are not currently based on the islands.
As reported by ABC, the independent Member of Parliament Andrew Wilkie who is known as an eager anti-gambling campaigner, called for the regulator to close the websites. Mr. Wilkie said that a lot of websites were using Cocos Islands domains to offer various gambling services to local citizens, which was a violation of Australian law. The gambling reform advocate also urged the Federal Government to take immediate action and shut down the websites, so that they stop offering illegal services to local players.
Gambling Websites Violate IGA by Offering Such Services
The ABC revealed they have contacted the ACMA for a comment on the matter and shared that the watchdog was trying to find out whether the websites were violating the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA). Currently, provision of casino-style games and live sports betting services to Australian customers is not allowed under the IGA. In addition, gambling companies which do not own an operating license issued from the competent Australian authorities are also suspended from offering such services to local customers.
A spokesman for ACMA revealed that the media regulatory body took into account a number of factors, including whether an operating license is necessary, whenever it decides if a website should be investigated or not.
As explained by the Monash University gambling law expert Dr Charles Livingstone, the major objective of the IGA is to protect Australian citizens from being targeted by unregulated or illegal gambling websites, as well as to suspend unlawful online gambling services. He categorised the usage of an Australian territory web address for offering online gambling services as a criminal offence unless the gambling provider is registered in a local jurisdiction.
The Cocos Islands is not the only Australian territory which has been used by online gambling operator to offer casino-style games and sports betting to local customers. Another location which has been preferred by online casino operators and bookmakers is the Christmas Island, an external territory of Australia situated in the Indian Ocean.
- Author
Daniel Williams
