Australia’s communications regulator has issued three formal warnings to offshore gambling operators after investigations found they had offered prohibited and unlicensed interactive gambling services to customers located in Australia.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) published the notices on its website, confirming enforcement action against BrightStar Digital and NovaForge under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).
The warnings relate to multiple online casino and betting brands operated from the Autonomous Island of Anjouan in the Union of Comoros.
ACMA found that BrightStar Digital had breached subsection 15(2A) of the IGA by providing a prohibited interactive gambling service to Australian customers through the Pokienations website. The regulator concluded that the service offered casino-style games played for money and had an Australian customer link, as users were physically present in Australia during play.
Two further warnings were issued to NovaForge following separate investigations launched in September and October 2025.
ACMA found that NovaForge operated a range of casino-style and betting websites, including Abu King, BetAlice, Nova Jackpot, QuickWin and Vegasino, without holding the required state or territory licences. The services were found to breach both subsection 15(2A) of the IGA and subsection 15AA(3), which prohibits the provision of regulated interactive gambling services to Australians without appropriate authorisation.
Across the investigations, ACMA determined that the services included casino games of chance and in-play betting products, all delivered online to Australian users. As a result, the regulator issued formal warnings under section 64A of the IGA, classifying the breaches as civil penalty provisions.
The enforcement action continues ACMA's ongoing campaign against offshore operators targeting Australian consumers. Last week, the regulator reported blocking 133 illegal gambling websites during Q4 2025 and completing 23 investigations that identified 69 separate breaches.
Separately, ACMA also concluded six investigations into licensed operators, finding violations of BetStop self-exclusion rules that resulted in penalties and remedial directions.
Under Australian law, online casino-style games and in-play betting services cannot be legally offered to Australian customers unless specifically authorised and licensed
