IAG MAR 2023

IAG MAR 2023年3月 亞博匯 62 the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and other tools. There are also jurisdictional challenges, as many of the illegal services that the ACMA investigates are based overseas in jurisdictions with minimal, if any, regulatory oversight. This presents challenges particularly for enforcement, which can be complex and time consuming. Consequently, the ACMA has largely focused on disruption as the most effective and efficient strategy for minimizing harm to the Australian community, as well as targeted education and collaboration with other regulators. We continue to look for further opportunities. IAG: As ACMA’s detection and enforcement against illegal gambling operators has evolved, have the operators’ strategies to target and offer gambling products to Australians also evolved? CC: Illegal operators continue to find new and innovative ways to market their products to Australian consumers. Many illegal operators continue to use Australian imagery on their webpages to convince consumers they are based here and, therefore, offered legally. This is a common strategy and can lead consumers to inadvertently use prohibited or unlicensed online gambling services. It is also common for illegal operators to align themselves to affiliate services, which appear to provide independent reviews of the illegal services, with direct links to the sites. More recently, we have seen the use of social media and streaming services becoming popular ways for affiliates to target gamblers. This raises an additional concern as these types of services provide a dynamic and accessible platform for influencers and are typically accessed by younger demographics. In addition, some operators have moved towards the use of facilitiesoutsideofthetraditional banking and payment- processing environments, which provides a further opportunity for providers of illegal services to mask their identity and creates additional challenges IN FOCUS