ACMA Adds Casea and Crown96 to Its Blocking List as Australia Keeps Targeting Illegal Gambling Sites

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued new blocking orders against two gambling brands, Casea and Crown96, for breaching the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. For high-risk operators and PSPs, the point is simple: Australia is still enforcing its blacklist-based approach, and mirror domains remain part of the cat-and-mouse game.

1. ACMA’s latest blocking action names Casea and Crown96 specifically. The regulator says both brands breached the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which is the legal basis for its ongoing website-blocking regime.
2. The authority keeps a manually maintained list of blocked gambling and affiliate websites, with ISPs helping to enforce the blocks. The current list includes 1,788 illegal gambling and affiliate websites, while 230 services have left the country voluntarily since ACMA began acting in 2017.
3. The practical problem is familiar: once one domain is taken down, mirror domains can appear and keep serving Australian customers. That is why the blocking list does not end the business model; it just makes the operator’s infrastructure more disposable.
4. ACMA has urged consumers to be vigilant, but it has no licensed domestic online casino option to point them toward. In practice, that leaves offshore operators as the only way Australians can access online casinos, even as the regulator treats those sites as unsafe.
5. The regulator has also been active on other fronts. It previously issued a $1.9-million fine against Tabcorp over alleged advertising breaches, saying the company sent promotional messages to self-excluded players. ACMA has also warned influencers against promoting illegal gambling content online.

For PSPs and acquirers, Australia remains a market where enforcement is not just about blocking domains. It also extends to advertising, self-exclusion breaches, and anyone helping illegal gambling operators reach local users.