No Penalty For Bookmaker That Targeted Problem Gamblers
An online bookmaker that sent hundreds of marketing messages to individuals on the self-exclusion register has prevented a monetary charge, however has paid a $500,000 fine for sending out spam to customers.
PointsBet contravened laws associating with BetStop - the national self-exclusion register, by delaying closing accounts of consumers who had signed up and sending out marketing messages to self-excluded individuals.
It likewise sent out more than 800 messages that breached Australia's e-marketing laws, an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority found.
More prohibited online gambling sites have actually been obstructed following ACMA investigations. Illegal betting services are unlikely to have consumer protections and users run the risk of losing their cash. View info about blocked sites at
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- ACMA (@acmadotgov) May 14, 2025
ACMA stated a monetary penalty was "not readily available" for the NSER breaches due to the "complex and novel matters examined" and PoinstBet would rather be subject to "extensive court-enforceable endeavors".
"A failure to adhere to an enforceable undertaking can cause court-ordered monetary charges," ACMA stated in a declaration.
The examination found PointsBet sent 508 marketing messages to self-excluded people in August and September 2023.
By law, people registered with the NSER should not be sent out marketing products from a licensed betting service.
There were "no excuses" for betting companies that fail to understand their legal obligations provided the threats to people experiencing gambling damages, ACMA Chair Nerida O'Loughlin stated.
"It is deeply worrying that these failures have actually affected PointsBet's clients, a few of whom had taken proactive steps to omit themselves from online wagering," she said.
People signing up to the NSER were taking positive actions and and their decision "should not be compromised by companies like PointsBet", Ms O'Loughlin said
ACMA discovered that no excluded customers had the ability to position bets with PointsBet during the duration investigated.
The endeavors devote PointsBet to evaluations of its compliance with spam and NSER laws, actioning any suggested improvements and training for all pertinent personnel.
"This action ought to act as a cautioning to all wagering service providers that they need to meet their legal commitments or deal with the repercussions," Ms O'Loughlin stated.
PointsBet was fined $500,800 for 705 e-mails sent in 2023 which contained a direct link to its betting products without including an "unsubscribe" function.
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