Crypto betting site JustBet faces probe over unlicensed Aussie operation claims

Sports betting website JustBet is being investigated for alleged breaches of Australia’s interactive gambling law, following reports that it “pretended” to be registered to operate in the country.

JustBet offers cryptocurrency- and U.S. dollar-based live betting on Australian sports such as the Australian Football League (AFL), the AFLX, and the A-League; live and pre-match betting on international sports; and an array of online casino games.

An ABC News report noted that the sports betting site was registered by a Panamanian and its IP address was traced to San Jose, Costa Rica. In Australia, JustBet wasn’t licensed by gambling commissions in any of the states or territories, although it was registered by the Christmas Island Domain Administration (CIDA), an administrator for “.cx”-ending web addresses in the Australian island territory, according to the report.

This prompted Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie to call for the site to be “shut down immediately” as it breached the federal Interactive Gambling Act, which prohibits online gambling websites from providing unlicensed interactive gambling services like cryptocurrency-based betting, among others.