Betfair fined over AU$871,000 by Australian regulator for gambling violations
Online sportsbook operator Betfair has paid an AU$871,660 (US$562,000)1 AUD = 0.6447 USD
2025-07-30Powered by CMG CurrenShift penalty after an investigation led by the Australian Communications and Media Authority found Betfair had breached Australian spam laws.
Betfair was found to have sent 148 emails and text messages between March and December 2024 to members of the Betfair VIP program who had either not given their permission or withdrawn their permission to receive these messages.
The gambling regulator’s investigation found that the messages offered incentives, such as account deposits and event tickets. It also found that six of the messages did not have an unsubscribe option attached.
Betfair will now enter a two-year court-enforceable period where the gambling operator must undertake an independent review of its marketing department that will require it to enact improvements, undertake internal audits, and train staff. They will also need to report to the Australian Communications and Media Authority regularly.
Regarding the fine, Authority member Samantha Yorke said, “Sending promotional gambling messages to these customers without consent or with no option to opt-out is incredibly irresponsible in addition to being non-compliant. The spam laws have been in place for over twenty years and it is simply unacceptable for businesses not to respect the rights of their customers.”
This is the second recent enforcement action from the Australian Communications and Media Authority concerning VIP customers in the gambling sector. In June, the regulator fined betting company Tabcorp after it had violated spam laws by sending over 2,500 messages to VIP customers.
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Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
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