The New South Wales (NSW) Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority has revealed that it has issued fines of AU$105,000 (€69,939) to online gambling operators during the past week as a result of illegal gambling marketing and inducements.
Both companies had offered bonus bets which are prohibited in NSW
The regulator also warned all gambling operators that fines would be increased if the companies fail to stop their prohibited marketing practices.
The most recent fine saw online bookmaker BetDeluxe hit with a AU$70,000 (€46,674) fine for the publication of an ad that encouraged gambling referred to by the regulator as a gambling inducement. This included 21 Facebook promotions that offered betting bonuses. The company was also ordered to pay AU$8,500 (€5,668) in legal costs.
The fine followed the prosecution of PointsBet for the same infraction last week. In that instance, the company was fined AU$35,000 (€23,341). The company had published two promotions including one on Instagram that offered cash back in the form of bonus bets. This was the second time that the company had been found guilty of publishing gambling inducements. The last one being in 2019 when the fine issued was AU$20,000 (€13,338).
Commenting on the fines, Hospitality and Racing CEO, Anthony Keon noted that it was completely unacceptable that seven bookmakers had been prosecuted on multiple occasions since 2018.
“Liquor & Gaming NSW will continue to actively pursue operators for illegal advertisements and advocate for the courts to issue higher penalties.
In 2018 the NSW Government introduced new laws to significantly increase penalties for wagering operators who are found guilty of promoting inducements to gamble, with maximum fines now set at $110,000 per offence for a corporation.
Clearly some of these operators think gambling inducements are just the cost of doing business, but they are wrong, and they are pushing their luck. We will continue to bring these matters before the courts and seek higher penalties that reflect community expectations.”
Keon went on to add:
“Prohibitions on gambling inducements are an important harm minimisation measure and the increase in maximum penalties, along with our continued prosecution action, should send a clear message to wagering operators about how seriously we view these matters.
Reoffenders run the risk of the higher range penalties, and more scrutiny, so let me be clear that patterns of poor compliance are not worth the trouble.
We hope this is the first and last time we see BetDeluxe in court for gambling inducements.”
Since 2015, Liquor & Gaming NSW has prosecuted 37 gambling advertising infractions which resulted in over $642,500 in fines.
Based in London, Natasha is a former sports journalist with experience working for some of the biggest athletes & brands in the world of sports and iGaming.