ACMA Cracks Down on Offshore Gambling Operators with New Warnings

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) confirmed that the operators — MyStake (linked to Santeda International BV), Lucky Dreams (Dama NV), Viperwin (NovaForge), Retrobet (Hollycorn NV), and Rocketplay (Pulsup) — were all providing online casino platforms accessible within Australia without the required licences.

According to ACMA findings, these websites were freely available to Australian customers despite operating under offshore licences issued in jurisdictions such as Curaçao, Anjouan, and Cyprus. Most of the platforms used standard “.com” domains, but Rocketplay drew particular attention for operating through a “.au” domain, which could give users the impression of local legitimacy.

Under Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001, it is illegal to offer unlicensed online gambling services to residents. Violations of this law can result in severe financial penalties, with individuals facing fines of up to AU$2.5 million per day, and corporations up to AU$12.4 million per day.

While these latest actions focus on warnings rather than immediate fines, the regulator’s ongoing enforcement history suggests repeat offenders are common. Hollycorn NV, the company behind Retrobet, has reportedly received at least 19 separate formal warnings from ACMA in recent years, highlighting persistent compliance issues among certain operators.

ACMA also noted that Retrobet was included in its latest round of website blocking measures, alongside other flagged brands. Blocking remains one of the regulator’s key tools to limit access to illegal gambling services within the country.

Interestingly, actual financial penalties have been relatively limited in comparison. Recent enforcement actions include infringement notices issued to Tabcorp Holdings totaling AU$158,400 this year, with further penalties of AU$262,920 in 2024. Meanwhile, Entain was fined AU$13,320 in 2023.

This contrasts with stricter enforcement seen in other jurisdictions. For example, the Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) recently imposed a record €24.8 million fine on Novatech, along with a €1.8 million penalty against Fortaprime SRL for similar violations.

Industry pressure is also mounting. Gaming solutions provider Upgaming recently confirmed it had cut ties with Santeda, citing increasing scrutiny over the operator’s presence in restricted markets.

Overall, the latest warnings signal ACMA’s continued commitment to tightening oversight of offshore gambling activity and protecting Australian consumers from unregulated platforms.