Unibet fined over three gambling adverts in Australia
After an investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW in Australia, Kindred Group-owned Unibet has been penalised for posting three illegal gambling adverts.
The operator has been fined a total of AU$48,000 (US$35,379) by a court.
Liquor & Gaming’s Compliance Director, Darren Duke, said that under the Betting and Racing act 1998, it is illegal to publish a gambling advert that encourages viewers to participate frequently.
Duke said: “Special or enhanced odds have the ability to induce people to open a betting account, when they otherwise may be refraining from gambling and they may encourage people to gamble more frequently.”
On July 15, 2021, at Downing Centre Local Court, Unibet opted to plead guilty to all three offences and was fined AU$16,000 per offence, bringing the total to $48,000.
The charges were handed out for breaching New South Wales gaming laws; Unibet was also ordered to pay AU$3,900 in legal costs.
The three offences relate to the publication on the Unibet website and Apple App Store, which was seen last year in November.
The publication referred to the availability of the Uniboost, Uplift and Reboost products, which are a form of special or enhanced odds.
Duke added: “During sentencing, the Magistrate noted that Unibet had a record of previous convictions and had most recently been fined $15,000 in 2019 for breaches in betting legislation. The advertisements were designed to entice people to engage with gambling products and are a breach of the legislation.”
Unibet does have the right to appeal the sentence.
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