A report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has revealed the agency found 18 offshore gambling services offering illegal betting options to Australians during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Of those, three voluntarily withdrew from the market upon being issued notice while 15 had their websites blocked. The World Cup was hosted in Australia for the first time and ran from 20 July to 20 August 2023.
According to ACMA, the 18 services found in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 followed a review of 200 offshore services with 21 of those investigated for appearing to be directly targeting Australians.
ACMA authority member and online gambling lead Carolyn Lidgerwood said the sites were unlicensed to provide wagering services in Australia and in some cases also offered interactive gambling services such as online casinos and slots or online in-play betting, which are all banned in Australia.
“Illegal gambling operations often take advantage of high-profile sporting events to push their services onto fans,” she said.
“These sites also offer none of the consumer protections that apply to licensed wagering services in Australia. Using these sites is more than a gamble as you have no rights and even if you win, you may never see the money.”
ACMA said it has now blocked more than 900 illegal gambling and affiliate websites since 2019.
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