Earlier today, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced that it has handed out a formal warning to the online gambling company Feral Holdings. As a result of the warning the operator’s CS:GO Roll platform has been withdrawn from Australia after the regulator found that the company has been providing local customers with interactive gambling services – something that is currently not allowed under the country’s gambling legislation.
An investigation has been carried out by the regulator, which eventually found CS:GO Roll website was offering casino-style online games to Australians. However, the provision of such interactive games is currently suspended as illegal under the provisions of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 in case the games are played for money or any other award of value.
The CS:GO Roll platform offered by Feral Holdings provided users with the chance to deposit so-called “skins” from the well-known and much-loved video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in return for in-game items that could be used in so-called casino-style games. Then, the website pays out customers’ winnings also in the form of skins that could be later converted into real money through some third-party platforms.
As previously reported by Casino Guardian, “skins” are used in online gaming to change the look of virtual items, characters of players’ avatars and can be acquired in video games at random or directly purchased via third-party websites.
Skin Gambling Targets Younger Audiences, ACMA Says
At the time when the announcement was made, the chair of the Australian Communications and Media Authority – Nerida O’Loughlin – noted that gambling websites are required to be in line with the country’s gambling laws, and the requirements applied even in cases when virtual items were used instead of traditional currency. Ms O’Loughlin highlighted the fact that the provision of online casino-style games is currently suspended in Australia when playing for money awards or awards of other value, including cryptocurrency or online gambling skins.
According to her, the offering of skills gambling services is quite concerning because they primarily target younger audiences and could potentially turn gamers into gamblers. On the other hand, younger people are considered more susceptible to gambling-related harm and could eventually be affected more seriously by some negative effects of gambling.
As mentioned above, Feral Holdings, which currently operates the CS:GO Roll platform, has received a formal warning for violating the existing gambling laws in Australia.
On the other hand, a register of licensed online gambling services is being published by the Australian Communications and Media Authority so that local customers are given the chance to check whether the interactive gambling or gaming service they get are legal or not in the country. Furthermore, the ACMA website offers information about how local consumers can protect themselves from becoming victims to companies offering illegal gambling services in the territory of Australia.
- Author
Olivia Cole
