The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is investigating the legality of multiple offshore betting sites using web addresses from the Cocos Islands, an Australian territory located 3,000 kilometers from Perth in the Indian Ocean.
As reported by Australia’s ABC, the sites – which offer an array of casino gaming and sports betting options – are actually located in Europe and the Caribbean but use the Cocos Islands’ unique internet country code.
Of primary concern for the ACMA is whether the unlicensed sites are offering their services to Australians, an offence under the government’s recently tightened Interactive Gambling Act (IGA).
“When deciding if a site should be investigated, the ACMA considers a number of factors, including whether the service being provided may be a prohibited or unlicensed service … and whether it may have an Australian-customer link,” an ACMA spokesman told the ABC.
Monash University gambling law expert Dr Charles Livingstone said there was no doubt the sites were breaking Australian law.
“The avowed purpose of the IGA is to protect Australians from less well-regulated gambling sites and to prohibit non-wagering gambling being available online,” he said. “Using a web address of an Australian territory to offer online gambling services is an offence, unless the provider is registered in an Australian jurisdiction.”
An online cryptocurrency casino based in Central America but using a Christmas Island domain was investigated and ordered to relocate by the ACMA earlier this year.
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