The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found the operators of Ladbrokes, Neds, bet365 and Sportsbet to have breached interactive gambling rules.
The operators were said to have used ‘Fast/Quick Codes’ which allow in-play betting on sporting events; under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 this is not allowed, except under certain circumstances, such as placing the bet over the phone.
Fast/Quick Codes are provided to customers by operators when they use their website or app to build an in-play bet. This Fast/Quick code can be quoted by the customer when they place their bet over the phone along with how much the bet amount is.
In this particular case, the ACMA found that Entain, Hillside and Flutter-owned Sportsbet individually generated Fast/Quick Codes for each particular in-play bet, but that this was done via either the operator's website or app, not via phone.
Following the investigations, the ACMA has decided for the time being not to take further enforcement action against the operators in question.
Indeed, steps have since been taken to ensure their Fast/Quick Codes comply with interactive gambling rules, including being generated before events, meaning they will be generic for all customers.
In other news related to Australia, last week, the Australian Federal Parliament passed legislation banning online credit card betting, a move applauded by Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) and its members.
