The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released the latest data on gambling enforcement for the second quarter of 2024 (April to June), showing its continued crackdown on unlicensed gambling platforms and related illegal advertising activities.
This quarter, ACMA received 330 public complaints and inquiries, of which 292 were identified as violations of the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) and formal investigations were initiated, equivalent to an average of about 3.6 case leads per day. June was the peak month for complaints, reaching 121.
During this period, ACMA conducted 20 formal investigations on 24 gambling websites, mainly targeting unlicensed operations and illegal advertising. Among them, 30 violations were found, including 16 banned services, 12 unlicensed operations, and 2 cases of illegal advertising.
10 companies involved (including Hollycorn, Nava, and Best Aussie Pokies) received formal warnings. Additionally, two companies operating CS:GO skin gambling—Gamusoft and Moontain—were specifically warned for allegedly providing unauthorized skin gambling services. Skin gambling involves betting with virtual items from video games, which poses high risks and regulatory challenges.
Furthermore, ACMA successfully blocked 73 websites violating the IGA, with some platforms suspected of evading blocking through duplicate domain names.
It is noteworthy that this quarter no cases were transferred to the Department of Home Affairs to be blacklisted, the only enforcement path not triggered.
This set of data once again highlights the Australian authorities' high-pressure regulatory stance on unlicensed gambling and the grey industry chain.
