The Australian authorities have ordered internet service providers to block 52 illegal online casino websites since last November.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has become increasingly concerned at the rise of illegal online gambling during the pandemic.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the ACMA said that it was aware that illegal sites were still targeting Australians and it will block the sites at the same time as it enters an educational programme to warn Aussie players that they risk never getting back any money they deposit or win.
Before the pandemic, the amount gambled by Australians online had been falling. Last year Australians lost up to A$400m annually on illegal sites, depriving states of about $100m in tax revenue had it been lost with legal on-shore operators.
Gambling website Yogonet has carried statistics compiled by analytics company SEMrush that shows that the attempts to block unlicensed offshore gambling websites is failing and that during the pandemic traffic surged.
