Australian bookmaker Palmerbet accepted 312 bets from a customer registered with the national gambling self-exclusion scheme, prompting an 18-month court-enforceable undertaking with the country’s communications regulator.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said the customer joined BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, in September 2023. Palmerbet did not close the account until February 2025, about 17 months later.
The 312 bets were accepted between December 2024 and February 2025, the regulator said. Under BetStop rules, wagering operators must close the accounts of registered customers as soon as practicable and stop providing them with online wagering services.
Palmerbet, operated by Palmer Bookmaking Pty Ltd, has repaid all deposits the customer made between joining BetStop and the account’s closure, according to the ACMA.
Under the undertaking, Palmerbet must commission an independent review of its compliance systems and processes and invest in the recommended improvements. The ACMA can seek Federal Court enforcement if the bookmaker fails to comply.
The action follows a penalty imposed on fellow bookmaker Dabble last week over separate BetStop breaches. The ACMA has said changes taking effect on January 1, 2027, will substantially increase penalties for breaches of the scheme’s rules.
