Report: ACMA meets with Curaçao officials over unlicensed operator concerns
Regulatory body relays concerns over online firms using Australian slang and symbols to target customers in the country
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has met with Curaçao government officials to air concerns over operators registered on the Caribbean island.
According to WA Today, Australia’s de facto online gambling regulator wrote to Curaçao’s Finance Minister, Javier Silvania, in late May to complain over a lack of engagement regarding Curaçao-licensed firms accepting Australian customers.
Following a Freedom of Information request, it has been reported that the ACMA told Silvania there had been a lack of response from master licensees on more than 90 occasions over affiliated companies illegally operating in Australia, where online casino is banned.
The ACMA claimed that of these 90 unlicensed firms, several were using Australian slang or animals in their business names or marketing materials.
The ACMA letter stated: “In each case we have contacted the operator and relevant master licence holder regarding the contravention.
“As at date of this letter, these services continue to contravene the IGA [Interactive Gaming Act] by providing prohibited gambling services in breach of Australian laws.”
ACMA officials proceeded to meet their counterparts from Curaçao in June to address the letter complaint further.
According to notes from that meeting, reported by WA Today, Curaçao regulators confirmed that contraventions by operators in other jurisdictions would be taken into account when assessing the suitability of a licence under the new licensing regime.
Curaçao’s new licensing regime will being from 1 September, with new licences being issued to bring the regulatory framework up to international standards.