The Emu Group Ltd has been working since 2012 in Australia, offering online casino style gaming, continuing to promote casino games year after year. The Australian-owned company has been able to avoid detection by authorities for the past four years but now it seems the site is shutting down operations. The individual listed as the owner has now spoken to local media and stated that he had nothing to do with the gaming option.
The Emu Casino offered players in Australia the option to compete in casino gaming including slots and table game variants. It was reported by local media of Australia that the operator managed the casino with three different domains online, an .au site, a .com site and a .net site. Looking at the Emu Groups Facebook page, it also shows that the company says they have 10,000 registered users at the gaming site from around the world.
It has been reported that the Australian site was owned by Jeff Muller, an Australia hair dresser. When Muller was asked if he did in fact own the online casino, that was illegal, he stated that he did not. Muller said he had nothing to do with the brand and has now taking legal steps to have his name removed from the website. Muller responded that it was news to him that he was listed as the owner of the site as he never even knew that the Australian site existed. Based on regulations in Australia, websites will be shut down if they are found to be registered based on fraudulent means.
The online casino operator is owned by EMU Inc a company incorporated in Panama. The area of Panama is known to be a haven for those who do not want to pay taxes. Further investigation shows that the EMU Inc. Company seems to be based in Malta and registered there as well under the name the Emu Group Ltd. Malta is also an area that is considered to be a hot spot for businesses looking to avoid taxes.
As far as licensing is concerned, the company has Curacao listed as the provider, yet another area to avoid taxes. While it may seem fishy, it is not unusual for a company to have the structure in place that the Emu Group appears to have. However, the Emu Group is promoting themselves as an Australian company. Local media has reported that other websites by the Emu Casino group are registered under Adrian Loughnan.
Loughnan is a former web developer based in Sydney. Back in 2012, Loughnan held the position as the Head of Affiliates for Emu Casino, as listed on the website Gambling Portal Webmasters Association. It has not been revealed as to if Loughnan is still holding the same post or if he has moved on to other ventures.
Additionally, it appears that Emu Casino has shown their customer service support centers operate out of Auckland and Sydney. The numbers for each center are listed on the gaming website. Reporters have called the numbers listed and found a recorded message that gives information on bonuses, payments, gambling advice and general enquiries.
More information of Emu Casino gaming offerings should be released as new details emerge. Due to the listings in Australia and the illegal nature of the gaming option, the online casino should be shut down and no longer be able to operate. It will be interesting to see if the ‘real’ owner is found or comers forward to discuss what exactly is going on and why Muller was listed as the owner when he says he had no idea the company even existed.
