The beginning of the week saw the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) issue a formal warning to the software supplier Proxous Advanced Solutions Limited after it found that the company provided gaming software to 13 online casino operators that have been offering their services illegally to local gamblers.
As revealed by the Australian regulatory body, the 13 illegal online casinos have used the Realtime Gaming-branded (RTG) software products of Proxous. According to the ACMA, the online gaming software solutions supplier knowingly sub-licensed these software products to the aforementioned casino operators, breaching the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act of Australia.
Previous investigations held by the Australian Communications and Media Authority found that each of the 13 operators in question – Free Spin, Uptown Pokies, Two Up Casino, BoVegas, Fair Go Casino, Red Dog Casino, Aussie Play, Reels of Joy, Uptown Aces, Cherry Gold Casino, Slots Empire, Ozwin Casino, and Play Croco – had illegally offered services to Australian gamblers.
The communications and media watchdog of Australia noted that the aforementioned gambling companies relied on Proxous’ software to deliver their online casino-style services to local customers. As a result, the ACMA has taken enforcement action to make sure these gambling operators are blocked so that they no longer target Australian punters.
ACMA Takes Enforcement Action to Block 13 Illegal Online Casino Operators
Since the Australian Communications and Media Authority started enforcing its new rules against illegal offshore gambling services in 2017, over 170 of these overseas online betting platforms had stopped offering their services in the country’s gambling market.
Still, the latest regulatory action against the gaming software supplier Proxous marked a first for the country’s communications and media watchdog, which has never before issued a formal warning against a company due to the operator’s alleged involvement in an unlawful gambling operation through software supply.
Each of the services offered by the abovementioned 13 online casino platforms has relied on RTG-branded software products provided by Proxous to deliver their services, including to Australian consumers. Previous investigations carried out by the ACMA found that the online gambling platforms have been illegally operating in the country, so they had to be blocked.
The enforcement action of the regulatory body comes after the country’s Communications and Media Authority shared plans for the establishment of a new self-exclusion register that is set to be named BetStop. According to preliminary projections, the BetStop self-exclusion register will allow gamblers to ban themselves from all licensed online gambling services available in the country for a period of at least three months.
The ACMA noted that Australians should be aware of the fact there were still some online gambling companies that were illegally offering their services without the required operating permit. The watchdog also warned local consumers that even if a certain digital gambling service looks absolutely legitimate, it could still be lacking the necessary customer protections that all licensed services in the country need.
- Author
Olivia Cole
