ACMA highlight Ladbrokes and Bet365 breaches

Jake Graves December 15, 2023

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ACMA highlight Ladbrokes and Bet365 breaches

The Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA) has identified four gaming brands for breaching in-play betting rules. Among these operators were industry leaders, Ladbrokes and Bet365 who used “Fast/Quick codes” to facilitate in-play betting. This is illegal in Australia and violates the Oceanic Nation’s Interactive Gambling Act, 2001.

This legislation permits in-play betting exceptions such as bets placed over the phone, requiring a Fast/Quick code obtained from the operator’s website or app. Ladbrokes, Bet365 along with Neds and Sportsbet individually generated codes for in-play bets on their websites or apps directly, in breach of the Act.

Acknowledgement of corrections

ACMA acknowledged the brands’ corrective actions subsequent to the authority’s findings to ensure compliance with betting rules and therefore decided against taking further enforcement action.

The operators took steps in accordance with the Interactive Gambling Act which included ensuring that codes will be generated prior to events commencing, independent of a customer that selected that bet. This means the codes will be generic and the same for all customers.

On the matter, the ACMA stated:

“We investigate anyone who breaks the rules for online gambling services, this includes providing or advertising online gambling services that are illegal.”

ACMA’s recent actions

The ACMA has recently issued 11 banning orders against illegal websites including Greenspin, Slotman, Jeetcity, and others, who also violated the Interactive Gambling Act. Prior to this, the regulator has blocked a further 893 illegal gambling websites since November 2019.?

This was achieved when the ACMA requested Australian internet service providers block access to the mixture of online gambling and affiliate marketing websites.

This action has prompted 220 illicit services to exit Australia with operators pulling out of the sizeable Australian market due to these restrictions since 2017.

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