The role of the ACMA (Australian Regulator) in gambling

ACMA - * Australian Communications and Media Authority (Australian Communications and Media Authority) is the main government body regulating online gambling in Australia as part of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Its role is to monitor compliance with the law, protect players and combat illegal operators.

1. The main functions of ACMA in the gambling sphere

1. Supervision of compliance with the law - control of the activities of operators in Australia.
2. Identifying and blocking illegal sites - adding violators to the registry for DNS blocking and requesting their removal from hosting providers.
3. Investigating player complaints - Reviewing claims for violations of the * Interactive Gambling Act *.
4. Informing the public - publishing warnings and educational materials about the risks of gambling.
5. Interaction with payment systems - prohibition of transactions to illegal casinos.

2. How ACMA is fighting illegal online casinos

Conducts investigations into operators offering services without a licence permitted in Australia.
Adds sites to the official Blacklist with subsequent blocking at the level of Internet providers.
Sends notifications to payment providers about the termination of service of prohibited platforms.
Publishes open lists of blocked domains so players can check them.

3. Player protection by ACMA

Information support - recommendations on how to recognize a fraudulent casino.
Assistance in the return of funds - in cases where the operator has violated the law.
Advertising control - blocking and fines for unfair or misleading gambling advertising.
Warning juvenile gambling - strict supervision of access to gambling products.

4. ACMA Permission Restrictions

Does not regulate international operators operating outside Australia, but may restrict access to their sites.
Does not address payment disputes directly if the operator is operating under a foreign licence but does not breach Australian law.
Does not issue licenses for online casinos - this type of gambling is prohibited for local companies.

5. The importance of ACMA to the market

Creates conditions under which players see which platforms are safe and which are blacklisted.
Reduces the number of illegal offers on the market.
Supports international cooperation to combat offshore fraudsters.

6. Result

ACMA is Australia's key defence and control body for online gambling. It does not regulate all aspects of international casinos, but actively blocks illegal sites, protects players from unscrupulous operators, and enforces the law domestically. For Australians, this is the main source of information about legal and prohibited platforms.