Betchoice, trading under the Unibet brand in Australia has been fined A$25,000 ($17,115) for a series of illegal gambling advertisements that targeted potential customers in New South Wales (NSW).
The fine was issued by Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court after an investigation by Liquor & Gaming confirmed that Unibet’s advertising and marketing activities targeted potential NSW customers, rather than existing customers.
Unibet’s actions were illegal, because the NSW Betting and Racing Act prohibits the publishing of gambling advertisements and promotions meant to induce individuals into participating in any gambling activity, including the opening of a betting account. In NSW, gambling advertisements or “inducements”, as well as gambling promotions, can only be shown to customers who are already registered to a gambling site, to ensure that only people who wish to see them will be able to.
Unibet committed two transgressions against this law, as two advertisements for its site was published in spaces that were not limited to just registered Unibet account holders. This allowed individuals who were not account holders to be exposed to the gambling advertisements and caused Unibet to violate NSW regulations.
According to the director of compliance operations of Liquor & Gaming NSW, Sean Goodchild, it is the obligation of gambling operators to follow all state gaming laws concerning advertising and promotions. Goodchild stated that because Unibet targeted potential NSW customers and not existing account holders they were increasing the risk of gambling harm.
This is not the first time Unibet has faced a fine in NSW for such violations. In August 2015, Unibet was fined A$7,500 (including A$5,000 in professional costs) for an advertisement campaign it launched on its website that offered reward and credit to entice potential customers.
The fine levied on Unibet will be set to good use in NSW. The NSW Office of Responsible Gaming has revealed details of its plans to fund more PhD scholarships, postdoctoral fellowships, and other research and study grants to support gambling research in the state. To accomplish this, money from NSW’s Responsible Gambling Fund will be used, in the hopes that the grants can improve the quality of gambling research in Australia.
While the NSW gambling advertisement regulations may be harsh, signs indicate that it is working. In 2011, stats showed that 65 percent of adults in the state gambled whereas in the last 12 months only 53 percent of adults gambled.
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