In 2021 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found BitStarz was providing a “prohibited interactive gambling service” to Australian customers, in breach of federal law, and gave the company a formal warning. Australians are being targeted on Facebook
It also raises questions about the liability of international social media platforms like Facebook if illegal ads are run on their websites. The case illustrates how difficult Australia's online casino laws are to enforce and how straightforward they are to evade, researchers say, allowing offshore companies to operate with near impunity. The ABC can reveal the ads promoting an online casino registered in the Caribbean tax haven Curaçao were run even after the casino was formally warned to stop operating in Australia by authorities.įacebook’s parent company Meta says the advertiser was 'authorised' under its policy, which requires those placing gambling ads to demonstrate that they are lawful in territories they want to target. An online casino based in the Caribbean has been caught out illegally targeting Australians using Facebook ads, but the social media platform says the advertiser is an 'authorised gambling partner'.
