ACMA refers two gambling firms to Home Affairs over IGA breaches

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has highlighted multiple regulatory breaches by gambling operators between July and September of this year.

In a quarterly report published this week, the ACMA revealed it had looked into 118 inquiries and complaints regarding Australian gaming and wagering firms.

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Of those, 82 were deemed to be valid inquiries that could be investigated under the terms of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).

That led to eight investigations into nine online gambling brands and betting apps, which uncovered four breaches of the IGA.

Three companies were cited for offering prohibited gambling services, while one was found to have advertised illegal or unlicensed products.

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Two of those cases have been referred to the Department of Home Affairs for inclusion on the Movement Alert List, meaning executives of the offending firms could be classed as immigration risks.

In addition, the nine of the betting sites and apps in question will be now be flagged by family-friendly internet filters.

The figures represent a significant drop in IGA breaches over the course of 2019.

The last quarterly report uncovered 27 breaches between April and June, while the previous edition mentioned 44 instances between January and March.

Six official warnings were issued in that span, but this is the first time the ACMA has looked to take action against offending parties since the report commenced in September 2017.

The ACMA did not disclose the identity of the gambling operators under investigation.