The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued fines to six licensed gambling operators, directly pointing out their violations of the national self-exclusion registry system (BetStop) rules. Investigations revealed that in 2024, six companies including Tabcorp and LightningBet committed multiple violations, including allowing registered self-excluded users to open accounts, use betting services, and receive marketing information. This incident highlights the compliance baseline for player protection in the gambling industry, and relevant gambling compliance cases can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Violations and Punishment Results: Differentiated Punishments with Demands for Timely Rectification
ACMA confirmed after investigation that all violations occurred in 2024, and tiered punishment measures were taken based on the severity of different operators:
Core Violations: The systems and processes of the six operators all had loopholes, failing to fully identify and protect self-excluded users, contrary to the core requirements of the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001;
Tabcorp faced the heaviest penalty: fined 112,680 Australian dollars (approximately 79,240 US dollars), required to sign a court-enforceable commitment, commission a third-party review of customer verification processes, and conduct employee training;
Three operators required to audit and rectify: Betfocus, LightningBet, and TempleBet received rectification orders, must undergo independent system audits and implement all recommendations, or face civil penalties;
The remaining two operators: BetChamps received a formal warning, and the final penalty for Picklebet is still being finalized;
Specific penalty details:
Subsequent accountability: If the six operators violate the self-exclusion rules again in the future, ACMA will initiate stricter enforcement actions, including applying for civil penalties in federal court.
Tabcorp Repeatedly Crosses Compliance Lines: Continuous Fines
Tabcorp, the only operator fined in this instance, is not being penalized for the first time due to violations, with a concerning compliance record:
Recent penalties: In June 2024, fined 4 million Australian dollars (approximately 2.8 million US dollars) for sending over 5700 marketing messages to VIP customers in violation of spam laws; in November 2024, fined another 26.292 million Australian dollars for violating instant betting rules;
Historical serious violations: Previously, due to a series of compliance failures in Victoria, it was fined a record 4.6 million Australian dollars;
Industry impact: As an important participant in the Australian gambling industry, Tabcorp's repeated violations reflect some companies' disregard for compliance requirements, raising market concerns about the effectiveness of player protection mechanisms.
ACMA Sternly Voices: Scolding Operators for Breach of Trust, Emphasizing Rules Must Not Be Violated
ACMA member Caroline Lidgetwood harshly criticized the operators' violations, emphasizing the core significance of self-exclusion rules:
Original intent of the rules: The national self-exclusion registration system is designed to help those in need stay away from gambling services and quit gambling addiction, and the effectiveness of this mechanism entirely depends on the strict implementation by gambling operators;
Scolding breach of trust: These rules have been implemented for over two years, and operators should have taken their responsibilities seriously, but the involved companies have betrayed user trust, disappointing those trying to protect themselves;
Industry warning: ACMA clearly stated that it is continuously investigating industry compliance and enforcing strictly, all licensed gambling operators must establish effective systems to ensure that self-excluded users cannot participate in gambling on their platforms.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders" gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
