The Australian Open is still full swing. Yet regulators are already dealing with an ugly side effect of major global sporting events. Offshore gambling sites are using tournament names and logos to lure Australians onto illegal platforms.
Vegastars is an unlicensed online casino. It promoted an Instagram giveaway offering front-row tickets to a night session at Rod Laver Arena. The giveaway also included a $500 fight voucher. The promotion had no official link to the tournament. However, the post used the Australian Open logo. Australians were among the nearly 2,500 accounts that commented on it.
RWA or Responsible Wagering Australia, which represents major licensed operators including Sportsbet, bet365, Betfair, PointsBet and Unibet, says these promos risk convincing people that offshore sites are lawful and regulated in Australia.
Kat Cantwell, chief executive in RWA said that the fact this is happening openly during the biggest sporting events of Australia shows how far enforcement is lagging behind the reality of offshore gambling.
Guardian Australia also uncovered numerous other unlicensed sites. These sites use Australian Open imagery, including tournament logos and photos of tennis stars. They also market a wider range of Australian Open–themed offers online.
While investigating other companies named in the reporting, an ACMA spokesperson told reporters that the regulator had ruled the site illegal. It will seek to have the site restricted in the Vegastars case.
The wider enforcement program of ACMA has leaned heavily on restricting. Since issuing its first blocking request in November 2019, the regulator says authorities have restricted 1,086 illegal gambling and affiliate websites. Tougher offshore enforcement has also driven more than 220 illegal services out of the Australian market since 2017.
The agency’s warning is blunt. Illegal sites can look real, but users usually lack basic consumer protections and can easily lose their money.
