The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has upheld a decision by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) that Australia-based online bookmaker partner OkeBet breached state gambling laws by marketing to self-excluded individuals and offering prohibited inducements through community sporting clubs.
The ruling affirms disciplinary action taken by the regulator in September 2024, when OkeBet was fined AU$100,000 and formally censured for contravening the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 (Vic). The VGCCC found that the company had sent promotional gambling materials to people who had opted out of wagering and had used local sporting organizations to encourage new betting account registrations.
OkeBet appealed the decision, but VCAT dismissed the appeal, confirming both the Commission’s findings and its enforcement action.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, VGCCC chief executive Suzy Neilan said the regulator acted after identifying risks to both vulnerable individuals and community groups. “We were concerned that OkeBet were taking advantage of community sporting clubs and exposing their supporters to gambling harm,” Neilan said. She added that the regulator was also concerned that “self-excluded people were still receiving promotional gambling offers from OkeBet.”
Neilan said the decision reinforced the importance of protecting community institutions from being used to promote gambling. “Local footy and netball clubs are often the heart of their communities, places where people come together to support one another,” she said. “They should not be used as vehicles to promote gambling, particularly where those promotions include inducements that are prohibited by law.”
Under Victorian regulations, wagering service providers are prohibited from offering credit, vouchers, rewards, or other benefits as inducements to open betting accounts and must ensure that promotional material is not sent to self-excluded individuals.
In its written reasons, VCAT found that self-exclusion clearly indicated a lack of consent to receive gambling marketing. The Tribunal also noted evidence that some self-excluded individuals experienced harm after receiving OkeBet’s promotional material, including significant mental distress.
“This decision serves as an important reminder to wagering service providers that they must comply with the law and minimize gambling harm,” Neilan said.
