ACMA Adds 11 More Casinos to ISP Block List
If you are playing at Australian Online Casinos, take notice of this report. The Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a new list of online casinos that they will add to their block list.
With the new addition of 11 casinos the to ban list, Australians will have fewer choices to gamble online. This makes things even more problematic as some Australian states have gone back into lockdown due to spikes in COVID-19 cases.
11 More Casinos Added to ACMA Block List
It has been a couple of months since the ACMA has gone after online casinos serving Australian citizens. In their continued quest to “protect” citizens from online casinos, the group has added yet another 11 casinos to their ban list.
The ACMA is blocking sites despite high demand in Australia.
ISPs in Australia are now being instructed to block access to the following casinos:
- Happy Hugo
- Mucho Vegas Casino
- Kahuna Casino
- Rich Casino
- Box 24 Casino
- Bondi Bet
- Joka Room
- Omni Slots
- Fruits 4 Real
- XPookies
- Slottica
Like with other blocks, the ACMA is claiming that they have over 35 complaints regarding the sites. They say that the sites violate the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. As such, they are instructing players to remove money from their accounts on these sites.
According to the ACMA, “Website blocking provides a valuable opportunity to alert the public to illegal gambling services through the messaging that appears when there is an attempt to access the site.
Consumers are directed to information about online gambling on the ACMA’s website including a register of licensed interactive wagering services for consumers to check legal services in Australia.”
66 Websites Now on Block List
This new list of 11 casinos brings the total on the block list to 66. The first casinos put on the list are Fair Go Casino and Emu Casino. Later, the ACMA put Raging Bull Casino, Free Spin, Two Up Casino, BoVegas, Slots Empire, Red Dog Casino, Wild Joker, and others on the list.
Keep in mind that the IGA prohibits any online casino or online gambling operation from serving Australia. In the past, there was little that the government or others could do to curtail offshore sites from serving players in Australia.
This changed with the block list. Rather than targeting the online casinos, they are simply having ISPs block access to the websites. Normally, players will not be able to access the sites. Of course, there is an alternative.
If you have access to a VPN, you can get around the blocks and access these websites. Your best option will be to use a VPN that allows you to connect to Canada or another country that your favorite casino serves.
Windscribe is a great free option that gives you 10 Gig per month in free data. If you need more, you can sign up for a paid plan. You can do a search on Google for the top VPN providers, but this writer can personally attest to Windscribe as that’s what I use to get around VPN blocks.
Viable Options For Gambling Shrinking
The ACMA’s quest to block online gambling sites makes it difficult to gamble online during the pandemic. While it is true that online gambling is up 67% during the pandemic, the ACMA is doing their best to try and censor your right to gamble online.
We will continue stating that rather than trying to block your ability to play online, the Australian government should legalize online gambling. Then casinos like Crown Casino could offer legal online gambling services and give casinos a revenue-generating option during the pandemic.
Until this happens, players will be forced to choose between moving to another website that’s not on the ban list or investing in a VPN.