ACMA Blocks Casea and Crown96 as Blocked-Site Total Reaches 1,788
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has asked Australian internet service providers to block two more unlicensed online gambling websites, Casea and Crown96. The regulator’s investigations found that both were operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The blocking update was reported on 20 August 2026. Crown Resorts itself offers no online casino games; see is there a Crown casino online.
The running total
With the two new sites, the ACMA has had 1,788 illegal gambling and affiliate websites blocked since it made its first blocking request in November 2019. The regulator also says more than 230 illegal services have withdrawn from the Australian market since it began enforcing the illegal online gambling rules in 2017.
The August round was small compared with earlier updates this year. The totals count illegal gambling and affiliate websites, so they can rise by more than the number of brands named in each announcement:
- February 2026: 1,518 sites blocked, after a round that included Lucky Mate, Vegastars and Wombet;
- April 2026: 1,640, after a round that included BetWhale and JackBit;
- June 2026: 1,751, after a round that included Donbet and Spinrise;
- July 2026: 1,774, after a round of 10 named services including Zizobet, KingAUD, Pokies99 and Betcoin;
- August 2026: 1,788, including Casea and Crown96.
The July list also included a domain called Lightning-bet.com, which Focus Gaming News noted appeared to imitate the name of LightningBet, a licensed Australian bookmaker. Copycat names like this are one reason the ACMA tells consumers to check a provider against the register of licensed wagering services before depositing.
What blocking does and does not do
Blocking stops Australian internet users from reaching a site’s address through local providers. It does not shut the operator down, and operators can open new mirror domains after a block, which then need to be found and added to the list. That is why the totals keep climbing. The ACMA combines blocking with formal warnings to operators, action against promoters and, in some cases, court proceedings; in July 2026 the Federal Court ordered $24.24 million in penalties against the operators and a promoter of three illegal online poker services.
Year in review
In late June the ACMA published its outcomes report for 2025–26 alongside its compliance priorities for 2026–27. According to Focus Gaming News, the regulator investigated 70 offshore gambling services during 2025–26 and found breaches involving all 70. The report linked those investigations to 49 website blocks and seven operators leaving the Australian market, with enforcement action continuing against 14 providers. Implementing the federal gambling advertising reforms is one of five key enforcement areas for 2026–27, and targeting influencers who promote illegal gambling is listed under the ACMA’s ongoing work to prevent gambling harm.
Those reforms passed Parliament this week as part of the government’s gambling reform package; see our summary of the wagering reform bill.
What it means for players
Online casinos and pokies cannot legally be offered to people in Australia, so any site offering them operates outside Australian law. Players on these sites have no access to BetStop, Australian complaint schemes or local consumer protections if a withdrawal is refused. Our guides explain how ACMA blocking works, what the Interactive Gambling Act covers, the risks of offshore casinos and why using a VPN to get around a block does not change a site’s legal status.
Casea and Crown96, two unlicensed online gambling sites the ACMA found to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
After the August 2026 round, 1,788 illegal gambling and affiliate websites had been blocked since the first request in November 2019.
No. It stops access through Australian internet providers. Operators can open mirror domains, which the ACMA then has to identify and add to the list.
Sources
- ACMA: Latest illegal online gambling websites blocked (August 2026)
- Focus Gaming News: ACMA blocks two more illegal gambling sites (20 August 2026)
- GamblingNews: ACMA continues to restrict gambling websites (20 August 2026)
- Focus Gaming News: ACMA blocks 10 more illegal gambling sites (15 July 2026)
- Focus Gaming News: ACMA makes gambling advertising reform a key enforcement priority for 2026–27 (26 June 2026)
Header photo: CERN Server 02 by Florian Hirzinger – www.fh-ap.com, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.