Australia Blocks 5 More Gambling Sites

This week the Australian Communications and Media Authority announced that they've blocked five offshore betting sites, bringing the total number of sites blocked in the country to over 830.

The sites affected by the new wave of blocking are BetandPlay, Play Fina, Comic Play Casino, Just Casino, and Viperspin. Each of the sites was found to be offering services to Australian gamblers without a licence, which led to the blocks. The regulator will now send these sites to the country's internet service providers (ISPs), who will then block access to the sites to their customers. There are now over 830 sites that are blocked, and a further 215 sites have pulled out of the market altogether.

In a statement, the ACMA said, "Australians who use illegal gambling services are not protected by Australian laws. This means our laws can't help if something goes wrong, like if the service provider withholds winnings."

Online gaming has been restricted in Australia over the past several years, as the government moved to make traditional slots and table games largely illegal. Sportsbetting is available, but many gamblers are looking elsewhere to get their gambling fix.

No comment from the affected casinos was available at press time.