Australia’s National Anti-Scam Centre, a sub-agency of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, has launched a dedicated taskforce targeting fraudulent online casinos.
The scams have been labelled “scambling” and mimic the look and feel of legitimate gambling websites and mobile apps used by real players.
These fake platforms accept deposits from victims, interfere with gameplay, block withdrawals, or demand further payments before releasing supposed winnings.
Scamwatch received 806 scambling reports in 2025, a notable increase compared with the 677 reports recorded throughout 2024.
Reported financial losses rose sharply over the same period, climbing from around A$449,000 to A$1.6 million within a single year.
More than 45% of reported losses came from consumers who self-identified as First Nations Australians, though regulators believe the true figure is likely considerably higher.
ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe explained the scope of the new initiative, saying: “The fusion cell’s work will create a clearer picture of how the scams operate, the impact they’re having on Australians, the factors that are enabling them and how they can be disrupted.”
The newly formed fusion cell will operate until 9 December this year, bringing together law enforcement, regulators, digital platforms, banks, telecommunications providers, and community services.
Its focus will include examining how fake casino sites are constructed, how they attract users, and how financial losses can be intercepted earlier in the process.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority said in June that 1,751 illegal gambling and affiliate websites had been blocked since November 2019, with more than 230 services leaving the market since enforcement tightened in 2017.
Licensed online operators in Australia may legally offer sports betting, race betting, and lotteries, while online casino games and in-play betting remain prohibited under current law.
Despite those restrictions, offshore casinos maintain a strong foothold among Australian consumers, as the existing laws target only operators rather than the individuals who access those platforms.
An ACMA survey found that 38% of Australian adults used at least one listed online gambling product during the six months to June of last year, a figure unchanged from the previous year.
Separate Australian National University research showed overall gambling participation edged down from 60.3% in 2024 to 58.8% in 2025, while riskier gambling rose from 13.7% to 19.4%.
The Albanese government recently announced advertising limits, a crackdown on offshore providers, tighter rules for online lottery products, and further work on the BetStop self-exclusion register.
