The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that four wagering service providers have breached rules that prospect individuals registered under the nation’s self-exclusion register BetStop.
According to a recent release by the ACMA, an investigation uncovered that Buddybet, Ultrabet, VicBet and Topbet had breached the rules.
A separate investigation found that Ultrabet had even ‘reopened the account of someone at the end of their self-exclusion period and allow that person to bet with that account’.
Under the self-exclusion rules in the country, wagering service providers have to close the individual’s account ‘as soon as practicable’ and are not allowed to be reopened after they are no longer registered with the NSER (National Self-Exclusion Register).
Providers also are required to cease sending marketing information including emails or texts.
Online bookmakers VicBet and Topbet have been issued with a formal warning, after the ACMA found that they had sent marketing material to a self-excluded person.
ACMA member Carolyn Digerwood indicated that ‘People on the NSER have made a conscious effort to exclude themselves from online gambling services. Sending gambling marketing messages to people who are trying to stop gambling is unacceptable. Betting services must have systems in place that respect the decisions of people to self-exclude, or face further consequences”.
