Key points:
- Unibet has been fined over AU$1m (US$0.64m) for failing to close accounts of customers registered with the national self-exclusion register
- ACMA identified more than 100,000 breaches of federal gambling laws over an extended period
Unibet has paid an AU$1m penalty following a formal investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) into breaches of self-exclusion rules under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The investigation found that 954 customer accounts remained open after those individuals registered with BetStop.
Of those, 45 accounts stayed open for more than 190 days, including some belonging to individuals who registered on the first day BetStop launched.
Although these accounts were not used to place bets during the self-exclusion period, they were not closed as required.
The ACMA also found that Unibet allowed 45 customers to place bets using old accounts after their self-exclusion period ended.
In one case, a customer placed over 1,200 bets after their exclusion expired by reaccessing an account that should have been permanently closed.
Under the IGA, betting providers must close accounts of self-excluded individuals as soon as practicable. If a person chooses to resume gambling after self-exclusion, they must open a new account.
Unibet has entered into a two-year court-enforceable undertaking, agreeing to an independent review of its compliance systems and implementation of recommended changes.
Good to know: This is the first financial penalty issued by ACMA for breaches of the NSER rules
The company will also voluntarily refund affected customers who were able to access accounts that should have been closed.
Carolyn Lidgerwood, ACMA member and gambling lead, stated: “Our investigation found very serious breaches by Unibet over a sustained period of time. We recognise that no bets were made from these Unibet accounts or marketing sent while customers were self-excluded. However, this outcome puts the industry on notice that they must comply with the rules or face potential financial penalties and other actions available to the ACMA under the IGA.”
