Law

ACMA-Blocked Casino Sites and Mirror Domains: What Happens to Your Account

Last updated 23 October 2026 · by the Aussie Top Casinos editors

ACMA asks Australian internet providers to block illegal gambling sites. Here is how the process works, why mirror domains appear, and what it means for money held in an account.

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If a casino site you used last month suddenly will not load from an Australian connection, there is a fair chance it has been added to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) block list. Blocking is not a fine or a court case against the player. It is a request to internet service providers to stop resolving a website. Understanding what that request covers, and what it does not, matters most for anyone who still has a balance or a pending withdrawal on the blocked site.

How ACMA blocking works

ACMA describes its power plainly. In its own words, quoted by Mediaweek in March 2026: “The ACMA can ask ISPs to help it disrupt illegal online content by blocking access to websites. This authority is given to us under the Telecommunications Act 1997 (section 313).”

The trigger is the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA). ACMA investigates services that appear to breach the IGA, which includes offering prohibited interactive gambling services to people in Australia, such as online casinos and online pokies, and publishing advertisements for prohibited services. When it concludes that a breach has occurred, it can send a blocking request to Australian internet providers, and the providers stop serving the site to their customers.

The first request went out in November 2019. Since then the list has grown in regular batches:

Mediaweek reported in March 2026 that ACMA had blocked 1,564 illegal gambling and affiliate websites since that first request.
Asia Gaming Brief reported in June 2026 that the total had reached 1,751, after another 12 sites were added.
ACMA also says more than 230 illegal services have pulled out of the Australian market since the IGA enforcement changes of 2017.

Affiliate sites are on the list too

Blocking is not limited to the casinos themselves. As early as 2021, itWire reported ACMA blocking affiliate marketing websites on the basis that they direct Australians to illegal services that lack basic protections. If a review or bonus site you used to follow has gone dark in Australia, that may be why.

What a block does and does not do

A block is a network-level measure. It changes what happens when an Australian ISP customer types the address in. It does not, by itself, do any of the following:

close the operator's company or its licence elsewhere;
freeze or confiscate balances held in player accounts;
cancel withdrawals that are already in progress;
give the player any new route to complain or recover funds.

In practice that means the money in a blocked account is in exactly the same legal position it was the day before the block: it depends on the operator's willingness and ability to pay. ACMA's warning, as reported by Asia Gaming Brief, is that “illegal gambling services may appear legitimate but are unlikely to offer important customer protections.” Mediaweek quotes the same point in terms of consequences: users of such services risk losing their money.

Key point: an ACMA block changes access, not ownership. A balance on a blocked site is only as safe as the operator behind it, and Australian regulators cannot help you get it back from an unlicensed offshore business.

Why blocked casinos launch mirror domains

A mirror domain is a second (or third, or tenth) web address that serves the same casino: same account system, same games, same cashier. Operators register mirrors for several reasons, and only some of them are about getting around blocks:

Block evasion. If the main domain is blocked in a country, a fresh domain will load until it is also identified and added to the list.
Payment and search problems. Domains can be flagged by payment processors, browsers or search engines, so operators rotate them.
Impersonation. Not every mirror belongs to the operator. Asia Gaming Brief reported that one of the June 2026 additions, pointsbetz.com, was imitating the licensed PointsBet brand. Look-alike addresses are a common way to collect logins and deposits.

No source sets out how many mirrors a typical blocked casino runs, and we have not seen ACMA publish figures on mirrors specifically. What can be said is that a working mirror does not mean the block has been lifted or that the operator has become legal in Australia. It simply means that particular address has not been listed yet.

How to tell an official mirror from a copy

There is no reliable test from the outside. Some practical signals:

The operator's own support channel confirms the new address in writing.
The licence seal on the page links to the regulator's register, and the register lists that domain.
Your existing login works without asking you to re-enter card details or ID.
Nobody is pushing you to deposit to a new account, PayID or crypto address before you can withdraw.

If any of those fail, treat the site as a possible clone, not a mirror.

Your account, funds and withdrawals after a block

Players with money on a newly blocked site usually face one of three situations.

Situation	What it usually means	Sensible next step
Withdrawal already sent before the block	The payment is between the operator's processor and your bank or wallet	Track it with your bank or wallet provider, not the casino
Withdrawal pending at the time of the block	The operator still controls the funds	Contact support by email and keep written records
Balance not yet withdrawn	Payment depends entirely on the operator	Request withdrawal through official channels only; do not deposit more to “unlock” it

A worked example shows why records matter. Say an account holds A$600 and a A$400 withdrawal is pending when the site disappears from Australian connections. If the operator later says the A$400 “bounced” and has been returned to the balance, the player is back to A$600 in an account they may only reach through an unlisted address. Screenshots of the balance, emails confirming the withdrawal request, and the bank or wallet details used are the only evidence available. Without a licence regulator in the picture, those records are the whole case.

Requests to deposit before you withdraw

A request to send more money before a withdrawal can be released is a recognised scam pattern. Australian Payments Plus, which runs PayID, warns that if you are asked to transfer funds to a PayID on an illegal gambling site, “it is almost certainly a scambling website”. The same logic applies to “verification deposits”, “tax deposits” or “unlocking fees” on any blocked casino.

Disputes and complaints

On a licensed Australian wagering service, a player can escalate to the operator, then to the relevant state or territory regulator. On an offshore casino that has been blocked, that route does not exist in Australia. ACMA's role is enforcement against the service, not resolution of individual player disputes.

What ACMA does provide:

a way to check whether a gambling service is licensed in Australia;
a way to report or complain about a service you believe is illegal.

Mediaweek's report notes both options: users can check a register to see whether a service is licensed, and can make a complaint about an illegal site. Reporting will not return money, but it helps the block list stay current.

If the operator holds a licence in another jurisdiction, that regulator may have its own complaints process. Whether it accepts complaints from players in a country where the operator is not allowed to operate is a matter for that regulator's rules, so read them before relying on it.

What this means for Australian players

The IGA does not make it an offence for an individual in Australia to use an offshore casino; it targets the providers and advertisers. That is why the enforcement tools are blocks, warnings and action against operators rather than penalties for players. The flip side is that the player carries the risk. A block is a strong signal about the service, and a mirror address is not a fix for it.

Before playing anywhere, it is worth reading our guides to what is legal for Australians online and how online gambling law works in Australia. Our safe online casino checklist covers licence checks, and how we rate casinos explains what we look at in published terms. If gambling has stopped being fun, our responsible gambling page lists free Australian support services.

FAQ

Is it illegal for me to use a casino site that ACMA has blocked?

The Interactive Gambling Act targets the providers and advertisers of prohibited services, not individual players. The bigger issue is risk: ACMA warns that illegal services are unlikely to offer important customer protections, so you may lose your money.

Will an ACMA block freeze the money in my casino account?

No. A block tells Australian internet providers to stop serving the website. It does not touch balances, which stay under the operator's control.

Is a mirror domain the same casino?

Sometimes it is an official alternative address, and sometimes it is a copy built to steal logins and deposits. Confirm any new address with the operator's support in writing before you log in.

Can ACMA help me recover funds from a blocked casino?

ACMA enforces the law against illegal services but does not resolve individual player disputes. You can still report the site to ACMA so it can be investigated.