ACMA blocked gambling sites: what gets blocked, how it works and what it means for you

What ACMA blocks, in one paragraph

ACMA, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, gets illegal gambling websites blocked by asking Australian internet service providers to stop their customers reaching them. It targets two kinds of site: operators offering services that are illegal under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, such as online pokies, casino games and unlicensed betting, and affiliate sites that advertise them. By 24 September 2026, 1,822 illegal gambling and affiliate websites had been blocked since the first request in November 2019.

How ACMA website blocking works

ACMA website blocking is the last step in an enforcement process, not the first. The usual sequence:

1. Investigation. ACMA investigates a provider or advertiser and works out whether the service breaks the Interactive Gambling Act. Public complaints can point it to a site.
2. A finding. If it finds a breach, for example offering online pokies to Australians, it can take a range of actions: a formal warning, an infringement notice, referral to police or prosecutors, or criminal charges and civil penalties.
3. A blocking request. ACMA asks internet providers to block the website. Section 313 of the Telecommunications Act lets ACMA seek this help where serious criminal or civil offences are involved.
4. Publication. The site is added to ACMA's alphabetical list of blocked illegal gambling websites, and ACMA announces new rounds of blocks.
5. Follow-up. When an operator reappears under a new address, the new domain can be blocked as well.

ACMA also reports directors and principals of illegal operators to the border protection agency, which may place them on the Movement Alert List. Blocking is one tool among several; our page on the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 sets out the offences behind it.

Mirror sites: why the list keeps growing

Blocked operators often come back on lookalike addresses, so the list contains many versions of the same brands. In our copy of ACMA's published list taken on 8 October 2026, 48 entries contained "fairgo", 21 contained "uptownpokies" and 158 contained the word "pokie". Numbered variants of one brand name are common.

This is why a site's name alone tells you little. If a brand has dozens of blocked domains, each new address it sends you is part of the same illegal operation. Our guide to online casino scams covers the warning signs that go with this pattern.

How to check whether a site is blocked

The official source is ACMA's Blocked gambling websites page, which links to the full alphabetical list. Two points help when you read it:

• Search the exact domain. Mirror sites differ by a number or a letter, so check the full address, not just the brand.
• Not being on the list does not make a site legal. The list covers sites ACMA has acted on. Any site offering online pokies or casino games to Australians is operating illegally, listed or not.

For betting, the reverse check is more useful: confirm the bookmaker holds an Australian state or territory licence. The Northern Territory, for example, publishes its full list of licensed wagering operators; see our Northern Territory gambling laws page. Our casino licence check guide explains what overseas licences do and do not prove.

What a block means if you have an account

ACMA's consumer advice is blunt. When an illegal operator's site is blocked, you may not be able to reach your existing account. Regulators cannot help if the operator withholds your winnings, and if it closes or moves, you are unlikely to see your money again.

What you can sensibly do:

• Stop depositing. ACMA's warning about lost money applies to every new deposit as much as to the old balance.
• Keep records. Save deposit receipts, emails and chat transcripts. They are your only record if you need to raise a transaction with your bank.
• Talk to someone. If chasing a balance on a blocked site is costing you sleep or money, Gambling Help is free on 1800 858 858.

Using a blocked site is not an offence for you under the IGA, but the block is ACMA's signal that the site has no Australian licence, no Australian dispute body and no link to BetStop, which covers licensed Australian wagering providers only. If you are thinking about offshore sites because you have excluded yourself elsewhere, please read our self-exclusion guide first.

What ACMA does not block

Licensed Australian bookmakers are not blocked, because their online sports and racing betting is legal. Pub, club and casino pokies are state-licensed and outside the IGA. ACMA's blocks are aimed only at services that cannot legally be offered online in Australia. Our guide on offshore betting sites explains the difference between a licensed bookmaker and an offshore one.

Reporting a site, or complaining about a block

If you think a website offers illegal gambling to Australians, use ACMA's online complaint form; you can stay anonymous. If you think a site has been blocked by mistake, ACMA's Blocked gambling websites page explains how to complain, and its Customer Service Centre is on 1300 850 115 on working days. For the wider legal picture across the states, see gambling laws in Australia.

Related reading

Guide Kahnawake licence The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has regulated online gambling from a Mohawk territory near Montreal since 1999 and publishes its complaint results. Here is how its licence works and what it means for Australians. Read more Guide Malta licence An MGA licence comes from a well-known European regulator, which is why fake MGA claims are common. Here is how to check one, what the MGA can do for players, and why it does not make a casino legal in Australia. Read more Guide Interactive Gambling Act The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 is the federal law that decides what gambling can be sold to Australians online. Here is how it works, section by section, and what the 2026 amendments change from 1 January 2027. Read more Guide Curacao licence Curaçao is the licence most often seen on offshore casinos that target Australians. Its system was rebuilt in 2024 and its regulator's portal went offline in 2026. Here is how it works and what it does not cover. Read more Guide Gambling tax In Australia, a recreational punter's winnings are not taxed. The tax is collected from the other side of the counter: bookmakers, venues and casinos pay state taxes on what players lose. Here is how both sides work. Read more Guide Anjouan licence Anjouan, an island in the Comoros, licenses many offshore casinos, and its regulator says it does not handle player complaints. Here is what an Anjouan licence is, how to check one and what it means for Australians. Read more