Australian authority says it will block illegal offshore gambling sites

[The Buzz]

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has warned it is set to get the nation's ISPs to block offshore gambling sites that are in violation of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

From ZDnet.com:

"The ability to have ISPs block illegal websites will be a valuable additional weapon in the ACMA's arsenal in the fight against illegal online gambling," ACMA chair Nerida O'Loughlin said.

"If you have funds deposited with an illegal gambling site, you should withdraw those funds now."

ACMA added that offshore gambling sites often do not pay out significant wins, with customers left with little recourse.

Over 65 companies have exited the Australian market since 2017, when it began to enforce the rules, ACMA said, with the directors of those sites also being added onto the Department of Home Affairs Movement Alert List. ACMA has also reached out to regulators in those sites' home countries.

The blocks will occur under section 313 of the Telecommunications Act, the same powers that allowed the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to accidentally block 250,000 sites in April 2013. In its guidelines for blocking, each block needs to be signed off by the chair, deputy chair, or a senior executive within the ACMA, with each request to expire after a "specified time".

Read more here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/acma-t...ambling-sites/

[bookmakers2u]

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has warned it is set to get the nation's ISPs to block offshore gambling sites that are in violation of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

From ZDnet.com:

Read more here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/acma-t...ambling-sites/

Can they block/stop VPN too? or have I misunderstood?

[universal4]

I would think they would have difficulty blocking vpn ip's, but my guess is they may take another look at known vpn suppliers in the long term.

Since there could be legitimate uses for those, that may get kinda messy but time will tell. My guess is they will try to force vpn suppliers to also block the sites/ip's.

ACMA added that offshore gambling sites often do not pay out significant wins, with customers left with little recourse.

Not sure where they think that data comes from, but I think in many cases it is just the opposite of that, with some exceptions.

Rick
Universal4

[Sherlock]

Have you tried to gamble via VPN ever? Do you realize it is a flag by itself because the IP addresses are known. It will take years to block and know VPN addresses realtime for states. But the security departments of gambling companies know it as those lists are known to ad-companies who do not pay for clicks/impressions from VPNs.

And playing via VPN from idk UK when you are in Australia means that you will most likely never pass through the security at the sportsbook.

The gambling corporations are simply not able to accomodate (yet) to the world of VPNs (there is a friction between the affiliate [who should want that traffic ] and securty department [ who is scared of it ]). There were exceptions like bitcoin bookies and 1xbet, but once VPN is allowed the gates to frauds are open.

[universal4]

Good points detailed sherlock, and some of those ideas are why I said it will be messy.

And vpn suppliers may rush to try to find new ip blocks, although my guess is many will not be able to as most have probably burned the blocks they could have accessed already.

Rick
Universal4

[Renee]

I would take a guess that the blocked companies would tell players they can only use certain recommended VPNs to play and that's how they can track the use.

Not sure where they think that data comes from, but I think in many cases it is just the opposite of that, with some exceptions.

Someone probably searched for what they were looking for, found the exceptions, and used that as their only source.
Like some other controversial topics - only use the info that supports your case and ignore the rest.

[AmyWilson]

That's really bad! Someone, tell these guys to legalize it

[sweetbet]

An illegal online gambling site that ignores the anti-gambling laws of a country isn't going to care if a player from that country connects and plays through a VPN.

[Sherlock]

That is logic, but just a theory. In fact it is as I wrote it. And I also wrote why.

Keep in mind that nearly nobody is 100% illegal, almost everybody has some licence and is legal somewhere. Nearly nobody is doing totally clandestine operation.

[BettingBoss]

That's really bad! Someone, tell these guys to legalize it

If only we were allowed offshore advertising in NZ!

[Former Member 14]

vpn suppliers may rush to try to find new ip blocks, although my guess is many will not be able to as most have probably burned the blocks they could have accessed already.

HideMyAss (VPN) most, if not all of their available IP's are all listed on places like StopForumSpam, ProjectHoneyPot and other similar IP blacklisting sites. I dare say it's the same story for all other VPN's like HMA.

The only way I could see a VPN working without risk of it being on a banned list, is to have a PC located in another country, connected to a bona fide ISP, and one would then remotely access that PC via their Australian PC.

Other than that idea, a casino could setup its own SSL VPN, for the use, by customers in banned countries like AU.

If the AU Gov., want to stop online gambling in AU, having ISP block traffic isn't the answer.

There's a simple solution BUT I ain't saying what that is...

[Sherlock]

Other than that idea, a casino could setup its own SSL VPN, for the use, by customers in banned countries like AU.

In other niches and countries such proxies already are being blocked.

There is another solution: having new IPs and new domains like 1xbet is doing that (or pinnacle did it in Italy and bet365 did it in Hungary and China). Then you need some master linking site, but even those sites are being blacklisted nowadays.

If the AU Gov., want to stop online gambling in AU, having ISP block traffic isn't the answer.

Actually, it is an answer for couple of years now. Hard censorship works. People thought it will not, but it works. And it will work until some decentralised solution that will be faster than .onion appears.

The problem that governments are cooking now is that the decentralised solutions that are being developed right now will open a Pandora box. The things with fake news and deceiving anybody through social networks in 2019 will be remembered as "normal era" afterwards.

[ocreditor]

The first casino is now blocked - EMU Casino

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has announced that Emu Casino and Fair Go Casino will be the first offshore gambling websites to be blocked by internet service providers (ISPs) in the country as part of a new clampdown on illegal activities.

https://www.igamingbusiness.com/news...locking-orders

[Renee]

The first casino is now blocked - EMU Casino



https://www.igamingbusiness.com/news...locking-orders

I can still access Emu Casino and Fair Go Casino.
They've requested the block. It hasn't happened.

As a result of its findings, the ACMA has requested that ISPs should now block access to the websites.

[Reality Punting]

It's funny how the Australian government bangs on about "funding criminals" if you use a offshore bookmaker, or the same with crypto but they have no problem with Australians using the Westpac bank which has been accused of breaching anti-money laundering laws 23 million times.

I spoke about the above with my broker and they have no issue with me using a VPN if they get IP blocked.

My broker also accept Bitcoin, I'm not sure if they truly believe they will be able to stop offshore gambling but good luck to them.

[Pokerface]

Although the thread started regarding Australia this made for an interesting read about VPN's. Thanks Sherlock, your explanation is very helpful.

[Sherlock]

It is all about percentages.
In Europe in several countries content is blocked. The block is rarely 100%, because it can happen of different layers. The most easy block is on DNS level. So anyone can bypass it even easily than by using VPN... just by changing DNS settings. This was used in Turkey (I am not sure what they use by now). But how many people really do change DNS settings? In fact, even when it is easy, maybe 1-5% people go with opendns or google dns. That is a fact.

Same logic goes with VPN. Just a fraction of people use it.

Ok, maybe if they knew they have to use it, the they can maybe...maybe bypass some block. But the reality is that the people also do not know they have to change the settings or install VPN. So in fact our affiliate links do not work in countries like Australia, Turkey, France, Italy, Czechia etc...

It is very hard to convert a player, but now you would have to educate them how to go with vpn or changing the device dns and then probably they will hit another wall. Honestly this is an area where betting in bitcons directly is easier. But it is still too complicated.

The few advanced users who already overcome the blocks are those who will probably much less likely go through affiliate website, because they already know why they are bypassing it. One of few smart affiliate projects I saw was affiliate website about bypassing the gambling blocks. Fine, it is nice, but it will not feed us all right.

So yes, those blocks sadly are effective. So nice country for gambling like Australia simply is now total sh1t.

Let's face it, there are 2 huge groups of countries that overlap: one group is overregulated with affiliates stealing and second group is where the blocks already crippled gambling.

[econfox]

I understand that they both shouldn't be on the same site.
I am willing to have two separate sites on two separate servers.
I think that should satisfy any reasonable regulator.

[Former Member 14]

But how many people really do change DNS settings? In fact, even when it is easy, maybe 1-5% people go with opendns or google dns. That is a fact.

Same logic goes with VPN. Just a fraction of people use it.

I use both. AU ISP DNS settings are usually poor to average, hence I've been changing my DNS setttings for literally years. I find opendns is good for some uses, while the public cloudflare dns setting are great for others. There's a new company who have setup dedi dns servers here. Currently they're free to use. I find these super fast, least for AU use.

Side step for a moment, recently bought a new PC, which of course had Win10 installed. While it makes some tasks easier (eg setting up a network and alike), the negative side... Unlike Win7 Pro where I could actually get the OS running barebones (only what's essential), trying to do the same with Win10 has proved to be a nightmare.

For the throngs of people who aren't OS savvy, then Win10 is considered excellent. Personally, I think it's a bloated piece sh#t. Which gives way too much control to Micro$oft, who seems to be able to collect stat data and receive it at will. While Win7 isn't supported after Jan 2020, I'd rather take my chances with that, and install a second OS such a Linux flavour. They have some very nice GUI's these days!

I dare say the people who think Win10 is great, are also the people who are clueless about DNS settings and possibly VPN's too.

Agree crypto is the way-around the 'wall' but without the aforemention know-how, it's a moot point.

[Former Member 14]

I can still access Emu Casino and Fair Go Casino.
They've requested the block. It hasn't happened.

Ditto here too.

Aside from the Xenophon/Wilkie camp who was hell bent on crippling 'pokies' for years, the revamp of the IGA was only bought into view, because AU licensed and regulated "sportbooks" started offering in-game betting options, and marketing these on TV ads. Which btw, in game betting was/is illegal in AU. Obviously someone in know saw these ads, and that's how the IGA ball started rolling again.

As I've said before, the industry, at times, is its own worst enemy. Greed - it seems to fuel a lot of these self imposed problems.

IDK if anyone saw the post over at CasinoMeister, but a young Aussie guy deposited $200 at online casino, won a jackpot, and then failed KYC. Seems he wasn't savvy to the process, and instead of just resubmitting his ID docs, and thinking the casino wasn't going to pay him, played the entire winnings back to the casino.

Long story short, this guy committed suicide.
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums...suicide.89289/

And of course the 'fake news' media had a field day with it. Which inturn, has spured the ACMA to sharpen its claws, and commence inacting the IGA ISP act, to have them block off-shore gambling.

Before the IGA 2017 ban came into force, Fortune Affiliates, Buffalo Partners, and a couple of other aff programs were actually paying the AU Gov., GGR consumption tax @ 10% rate. Clearly the AU Fed Gov., had no hesitation accepting these funds. Though, I'm yet to hear or read any Gov., offical-statement about those funds being paid by off-shore gaming entities.

On one hand I think this entire mess is about tax, or more so, ability to collect it. On the other, its companies and alike who earn money from internal AU gambling, who have vested interests to insure AU blocks off-shore gambling.

Whatever the reason behind it, it's a mess. More so a complete farse, given AU is widely known as a nation of gamblers. Which can be clearly seen by what's on offer within our land based boundaries.

Edit:
Speaking of Xenophon, he's no longer in Gov.

There was a BIG ruckous over some politians having duel citizenship, which is a no no. Nick Xenophon was one of them. These case were to be brought before the AU high court. Seems Xenophonknew his goose was cooked, so it seems he opted to run for am election seat he had 'no chance' of winning. Which inturn gave him the excuse to exit politics. Instead of risk of being publicly stripped of that position by the AU High Court.

Given Xenophon was the spearhead behind the revamped IGA Laws, and if the High Court deemed he should not have held his political position, then does his vote and anyone elses votes caught in this duel citizenship fiasco count?

The duel citizenship drama has, like most unsavory Gov., issues to find the light-of-day, has been swept under the carpet.

But it does make you wonder...