Australia

AUSTRAC CEO Focuses on Gambling Industry Compliance

Published

11 months ago

March 14, 2025

austrac-ceo-focuses-on-gambling-industry-compliance

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AUSTRAC, the anti-money laundering watchdog in Australia, will continue to give a prime focus on the gambling industry and won’t be cautious in taking action against companies that fail comply with their obligations, CEO Brendan Thomas said.

During a Keynote Address on the final day of the Regulating the Game conference in Sydney on Thursday, Thomas said it still has a lot of “activities” around the gambling industry in the works, even as it looks to conclude long-running actions against casino operator Star Entertainment Group and online operator Entain for various compliance failures.

More importantly, he promised that although AUSTRAC will work with industry to achieve appropriate outcomes, its patience has limits.

“I’ve been the CEO of AUSTRAC for just over a year and I’m so proud of the work that we’ve done in that time to reduce the harms to our community. But while I’ve been working with the industry and our reporting entities to reduce that harm, AUSTRAC is not in the business of continuing to educate without action. It is important that businesses understand their legal obligations because I’m prepared to take strong and swift action where it is warranted,” he said.

“If you expect AUSTRAC to educate, educate, educate and then take action years later, you’re mistaken. If you think your business is too small to take responsibility for regulatory compliance, you’re also mistaken. Your services in the gambling industry have been subject to a regulatory regime for many years now and it is your responsibility to comply,” he added.

Noting that licensed operators in Australia face an ever-evolving risk landscape due to “the digitization of currency, financial systems that are more dispersed and complex, the need for more sophisticated customer verification processes, and greater competition in the rapidly expanding online gaming sector,” Thomas called on operators large and small to run thorough risk assessments in order to properly identify where the true risks of infiltration sit for each.

This, he explained, is in line with the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024 that was passed in federal parliament last year.

The bill, which updated the previous act from 2006, adds a raft of new industries to AUSTRAC’s purview – namely real estate professionals, lawyers, accountants, trust and company service providers, and dealers in precious stones and metals – but also amends laws around how entities should comply with their obligations.

“We’re trying to shift the way that we do regulation in our regulated industries away from pure compliance to a proper discussion about risk so that we can talk to you about what that risk actually is and then we can focus practically on what are the controls that are directly aimed at those risks rather than just ticking a bunch of compliance boxes. We aim to take the bureaucracy out of what we do and how we do it,” he said.

Despite promising to be tougher on those who fail to properly comply, Thomas said the agency also wants to improve its lines of communications with the industries it regulates.

“AUSTRAC is making some significant changes ourselves – establishing functions that are purely about establishing proper partnerships with our regulated industries,” he said.

“In the past we haven’t done that and we are committed to working in partnership with those industries that want to comply with the law. We will also be much more transparent and forward on what our legal position is on a whole range of different moves and we will be more up front about where we are seeing risks that affect our regulated industries.

“[But] there is no question on where [illegal] funds come from and how those funds are impacting Australians. There is the crime that leads to profits in the first place and then the reinvestment of those profits into more crime. At the worst end of the scale, we are talking about illicit drugs running, scams, child sexual exploitation and significant amount of human trafficking, so if you are in the gambling industry you have a pretty big obligation to help us combat these problems,” he added.

The post AUSTRAC CEO Focuses on Gambling Industry Compliance appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Australia

NSW: Hospitality and Racing Strategy 2026-28 and Regulatory Priorities 2026

Published

4 days ago

February 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

nsw:-hospitality-and-racing-strategy-2026-28-and-regulatory-priorities-2026

Liquor & Gaming NSW has published the Hospitality and Racing Strategy 2026-28, setting a clear path for reducing harm, supporting responsible industry growth and meeting evolving community expectations. The Strategy outlines Hospitality and Racing’s vision, regulatory posture and strategic objectives.

It outlines three strategic objectives which will guide the work to support communities, individuals and the industry. The first is targeted harm reduction, using better data, education and engagement to focus on the areas where we can make the biggest difference.

The second is outcome‑focused, responsive regulation, by making use of streamlined, place‑based and community‑informed approaches that deliver meaningful, real-world outcomes.

Third is promoting modern tools, skilled teams and smart decisions, investing in its capability, improving how it uses data and supporting consistent decision making across hospitality and racing.

Regulatory Priorities 2026

Alongside the new strategy, Liquor & Gaming NSW has also issued its Regulatory Priorities 2026. This sets out where the department will be focusing its regulatory attention over course of the year. It provides transparency on Liquor & Gaming’s forward regulatory agenda and gives the industry the opportunity to proactively engage about the issues they are concerned about.

The post NSW: Hospitality and Racing Strategy 2026-28 and Regulatory Priorities 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ACMA

ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Websites

Published

6 days ago

February 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

acma-blocks-more-illegal-online-gambling-websites

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

The latest sites blocked include:

Lucky Mate

Vegastars

Wombet

Cosmobet

Fortune Play

Fortunica

Rolletto

Velobet

Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1518 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. Over 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.

The post ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Websites appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Australia

Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney — One Month Countdown as Sector Leaders Anticipate Inaugural RTG Global Awards

Published

2 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

regulating-the-game-2026-sydney-—-one-month-countdown-as-sector-leaders-anticipate-inaugural-rtg-global-awards

With a month left until Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney, the final arrangements are in progress for the industry’s premier event on gambling regulation, compliance, integrity, and safer gambling, scheduled for 9–11 March 2026 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.

Currently in its sixth edition, Regulating the Game has become a platform for in-depth, cross-jurisdictional analysis of gambling regulation and industry performance, emphasizing the interplay between regulatory frameworks, market structures, and organizational capacity in practice. The 2026 initiative unites regulators, policymakers, operators, advisors, and technology experts to explore the translation of regulatory intent into practical application, as well as the evolution of industry systems, governance, and behaviors in light of increased scrutiny and reform.

A Program Centered on System Efficiency and Compliance Circumstances

The 2026 conference agenda is designed to transition purposefully from context to analysis to application, exploring how gambling regulation, market design, organizational capability, and leadership influence real-world results. Over three days, the program examines not just the pathway of regulatory reform, but also how these reforms are integrated, implemented, and challenged within intricate gambling settings facing ongoing evaluation and transformation.

Sessions cover public policy, regulatory practice, sector performance, and innovation, focusing on:

• The strategic direction of gambling regulation, enforcement and supervision, and how regulatory posture is evolving post-inquiry and reform
• The operational reality of compliance, including AML/CTF supervision, financial crime risk, and implementation challenges and opportunities
• Safer gambling governance, consumer protection frameworks and the application of RegTech at scale
• Market structure, black and grey market dynamics, and the unintended consequences of regulatory design choices
• Technology, data governance, RegTech and the use of AI to support integrity, oversight and organisational decision-making
• Leadership, accountability, culture and the capability required to translate policy intent into durable operational outcomes

The agenda integrates keynote addresses, moderated panels, expert masterclasses and Industry Spotlight sessions, designed to support informed debate while grounding discussion in real-world regulatory and operational experience.

Global RTG Awards to Be Presented for the First Time

A key aspect of Regulating the Game 2026 is the introduction of the first Regulating the Game Global Awards, which honor leadership, stewardship, and measurable effects in areas such as sector direction and reform, compliance, safer gambling, technology, and community results.

The Global Awards were created to offer impartial, thorough acknowledgment of individuals, organizations, and solutions that are enhancing standards and leading to improved regulatory and social results. Finalists have been verified in six categories after an objective evaluation by a judging panel made up of senior leaders with extensive knowledge in regulation, law, integrity, governance, and responsible gambling.

The RTG Global Awards Gala Dinner will take place as a central event of the conference agenda, allowing finalists, peers, and industry stakeholders to engage in the Awards without needing to attend the entire conference.

Pitch! Showcase and Industry Interaction

The conference agenda includes Pitch!, a forum by Regulating the Game for exploring both new and traditional methods to tackle regulatory, compliance, and safer gambling issues. Pitch! highlights research, practical technologies, operating models, and concepts being implemented or tested in regulated settings, and analyzes how innovation is embraced, managed, and expanded in conjunction with current systems and controls.

Paul Newson, Founder of Regulating the Game and Principal at Vanguard Overwatch, stated that the 2026 event signifies the growth and significance of the existing regulatory landscape:

“Regulating the Game exists to engage honestly with how gambling regulation, sector performance and organisational capability intersect in practice – not just policy intent, but how expectations are interpreted, implemented and sustained over time.

The Global Awards sit alongside that purpose. They recognise and help surface leadership, stewardship and practical work that is lifting capability, strengthening governance and positioning organisations – and the sector more broadly – for more resilient and sustainable operation. The intent is to cultivate credible leadership voices and highlight work that is demonstrably improving outcomes.”

The post Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney — One Month Countdown as Sector Leaders Anticipate Inaugural RTG Global Awards appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.