The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has called on Australia’s internet service providers (ISPs) to block illegal offshore lottery websites.
The first time such a call has been made, Member of ACMA, Fiona Cameron said the two targeted websites, We Love Lotto and Red Fox Lotto, would be the first lottery sites blocked in the country after ACMA investigations found they offered tickets in major overseas online lotteries and were not licensed in Australia, “which is prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001”.
“We Love Lotto and Red Fox Lotto are both operating illegally in Australia, meaning there are no consumer safeguards in place for players,” Ms Cameron said.
“Blocking illegal offshore sites protects Australians from potentially dodgy operators, where there is little or no recourse if things go wrong,” she said.
“Lottery services that are licensed in Australia and operating legally have important safeguards that consumers expect.”
Ms Cameron said while these were the first lottery services to be blocked, the Authority had been requesting that ISPs block illegal casino-style gambling sites since November 2019.
She said a new ACMA report showed that, in the 2020–21 financial year, the Authority targeted 55 services for site blocking, “resulting in a majority experiencing a drop in Australian visitors of at least 90 per cent”.
“We are very pleased with the outcome and it shows that the steps we are taking to combat illegal online gambling in Australia have had a positive impact,” Ms Cameron said.
