ACMA Goes After Influencers for Promoting Illegal Gambling

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has blocked thousands of websites that it has deemed to be operating illegally in the country by offering sports betting and online casino products, without licensure or in clear breach of the law.

ACMA is now stepping up those efforts by going after individuals who may be leveraging their social media standing to promote such brands. 

In a statement, ACMA explained that it has already begun investigations into multiple streamers on suspicion that these people have “potentially” breached the law. 

While ACMA did not specifically name the individuals under investigation, several media outlets volunteered the information, with The Sydney Daily saying that two of the people under suspicion were Emily Webb, an OnlyFans content creator, and Jordan Sami, a former Rugby League player. 

The websites reportedly promoted by Webb and Sami have already been blocked by the ACMA, which has placed a request with ISPs to comply with its enforcement action. 

Apart from investigating specific individuals, ACMA said that it is actively looking to reach out to influencers and warn them about the associated risks with promoting such products and the enforcement action they may face as a result.

ACMA has been conducting a crackdown against the illegal gambling market on several fronts. The regulator has reached out to overseas counterparts, asking them to threaten licenses based in their countries that target customers in Australia.

Potentially Serious Consequences Await Those Who Fail to Comply 

ACMA has also been putting in the work, blocking a total of 1,564 websites since it began to manually add websites. However, this is not all that ACMA intends to do. 

The watchdog has threatened fines of about AUD 59,400 ($41,700) to any individual who promotes gambling content, but facilitating access to unregulated websites could have even more serious consequences, with fines to the tune of AUD $2.4 million ($1.68 million) payable by those found responsible, ACMA warned. 

Despite these threats, illegal gambling platforms are, at least for now, finding more people willing to help them push content onto Australians, who are some of the world’s most avid gamblers.