Offshore gambling sites targeting Aussies via Australian Open ads
The Australian media is waging war on offshore online casinos after several were found to be targeting Australians via Australian Open tennis advertisements.
Regulators and industry figures have raised concerns that unlicensed gambling websites are using the Australian Open to promote illegal services that fall outside Australian consumer protections.
One offshore operator, Vegastars, offered front-row tickets to matches at Rod Laver Arena and a $500 flight voucher, attracting engagement from thousands of Instagram users, many of them Australian, despite no affiliation with the tournament.
At least three other unlicensed platforms have used official Australian Open branding or images of tennis players in social media promotions, while more than 10 have run tournament-themed offers online.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said Vegastars was operating illegally and would be referred for website blocking. ACMA confirmed it was also investigating other operators and influencer-led promotions, including content linked to Rainbet.
Industry body Responsible Wagering Australia warned that branding and giveaways could mislead consumers into believing offshore platforms were legal.
The ACMA has blocked upwards 220 illegal gambling sites since November 2019, with many of these requiring multiple blocks, after they run mirror websites to evade regulators.
The path to stopping illegal gambling
Payment blocking is one way being floated to attack the estimated $3.9billion offshore gambling industry, but as we have seen in places like Norway and Germany, it does not really work.
Offshore online casinos accept payment methods like cryptocurrency and web wallets, which might be too much for some people, but most Australians are technologically sound and can navigate these issues.
The only way to really stamp out illegal gambling is to embrace the legal industry, and regulate all forms of online gambling, using sound models like the United Kingdom (without their tax burdens) to provide an alternative to these illegal websites.
They also need to reinstate the ability of Australian-licensed gambling websites to offer inducements, because bonus bets, free spins and new account incentives, are all major reasons people gamble online.
With illegal online poker thriving in Australia, despite the strict laws on offshore sites, surely lawmakers can swallow their pride, admit they got it wrong and finally work on regulating an industry that can be harmful without the guardrails in place.
