ACMA blocks 12 more illegal gambling sites in Australia

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has intensified its efforts to combat illegal gambling by instructing internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to 12 additional unlicensed gambling and affiliate marketing websites.

The ACMA has taken this action as part of an ongoing campaign to enforce compliance with the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, after investigators found these sites to be operating unlawfully.

ACMA moves to block 12 illegal gambling sites

The latest directive affects the following sites: 7Signs, ChromaBet, Donbet, Duospin, Freshbet, Slots Gem, Jacks Club, Lucky Start, Pointsbetz.com, Spinrise, Vinyl Casino and Wildsino.

Of particular concern is Pointsbetz.com, a site identified as imitating the branding of the licensed PointsBet service. This practice is a tactic that illegal operators commonly use to mislead consumers by appearing similar to authorised platforms and thus gain their trust.

Since November 2019, ACMA reports having blocked a total of 1,751 illegal gambling and affiliate marketing websites, while over 230 unlicensed gambling services have exited the Australian market since enforcement measures began in 2017.

Earlier this year, the authority had already ordered ISPs to block eight illegal gambling websites , including Lucky Mate, Vegastars, Wombet, Cosmobet, Fortune Play, Fortunica, Rolletto and Velobet, bringing the total number of blocked sites at that time to 1,518.

The regulator reiterates that while illegal gambling sites may appear legitimate, they often lack essential consumer protections. This absence potentially exposes bettors to financial losses and leaves them vulnerable in the event of disputes.

Blocking orders can only go so far

The latest blocking initiative highlights Australia’s assertive use of network-level enforcement to limit access to unauthorised offshore gambling websites.

However, site blocking has structural limits. Blocked sites can reappear under new domains , while illegal operators have grown increasingly fluent in reaching Australian players through social media, affiliate content and streaming platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where casino-branded influencer content can spread at low marginal cost and largely outside any single regulator’s reach.

According to H2 Gambling Capital’s 2025 report, commissioned by Responsible Wagering Australia, Australians now lose an estimated AU$3.9 billion ($2.7 billion) annually to illegal sites, with channelisation falling from 74% in 2021 to 64% now.

The enforcement challenge is further compounded by Australia’s incoming advertising restrictions , announced by the Albanese government in April 2026, which will introduce caps, bans and restrictions across TV, radio and online gambling advertising from January 2027.

In doing so, they risk narrowing one of the few remaining structural advantages licensed operators hold over their illegal offshore counterparts.

This evolving landscape places increased pressure on compliance teams, payment service providers and media partners to scrutinise the promotion and association of their brands with offshore gambling offers.