Asia Bulletin: Tabcorp fined for violating gambling inducement laws in New South Wales
Australian operator Tabcorp has been fined AU$15,000 (US$9,000) for inadvertently offering inducements to individuals without a Tab betting account.
The conviction took place in Downing Centre Local Court on September 22 2023. The Magistrate ruled that Tabcorp had advertised a promotion on its website that included inducements for people to participate in gambling activities.
In New South Wales (NSW), it is against the law to publish or communicate inducement advertisements to individuals who do not have a betting account. Due to an internal oversight, Tabcorp inadvertently violated this law by allowing its website to communicate a gambling inducement to non-account holders.
Liquor & Gaming NSW Executive Director of Regulatory Operations Jane Lin emphasised a zero-tolerance approach to illegal gambling inducements.
“Tabcorp is a large corporation and it is our expectation that an operator of this scale has strong internal controls and demonstrates greater vigilance to prevent members of the public being exposed to gambling inducements,” said Lin.
“In many cases, gambling promotions can be legally offered to betting account holders who, unlike the general public, have made a conscious decision to open an account and have expressly consented to receive this information.
“However, wagering operators can’t advertise or promote inducements such as offers of increased odds or bonus bets to entice people to open a betting account or to gamble more frequently.”
NSW has prohibited the advertisement of any inducements to engage in gambling activities or to encourage betting account openings, referrals, keeping accounts open or consenting to receive gambling advertising.
The maximum penalty for corporations that publish prohibited gambling advertising is $110,000, while individuals may face a penalty of $11,000.
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