Liquor & Gaming NSW said this week it has issued AU$1.1 million (US$710,000) in fines to online sportsbooks since 2016 for illegal gambling advertisements as it continues to fight against gambling inducements.
According to information published Tuesday, the fines include AU$830,000 (US$536,000) in fines to companies prosecuted in court and another AU$270,000 (US$174,000) in infringement notices, with IRPSX PTY LTD, trading as Bet Right, becoming the latest conviction after receiving an AU$20,000 (US$12,900) fine this month for illegally offering boosted odds.
Under the NSW Betting and Racing Act, it is an offence to publish a gambling advertisement that “includes any inducement to participate, or participate frequently, in any gambling activity.”
Liquor & Gaming NSW Executive Director Regulatory Operations, Jane Lin said the regulator has a zero-tolerance approach to the publication of illegal gambling inducements.
“Liquor & Gaming NSW has actively engaged with online bookmakers and provided guidance on their compliance obligations, so there is simply no excuse for wagering companies to advertise inducements and they can be assured that the risk of being caught and prosecuted is extremely high,” Lin said.
“In April, we issued 14 penalty infringement notices totaling AU$210,000 (US$135,500) to wagering company, Betr, which represents the largest ever fine issued to a wagering operator for offering inducements in NSW history.”
“We will continue to monitor television, print and social media for this illegal advertising and advocate for the courts to issue higher penalties.”
Other recent convictions include fines of AU$157,000 (US$101,300) against Sportsbet in 2021 for two instances of gambling advertising breaches, and an AU$40,000 (US$25,800) fine in March against SportsChamps for breaching NSW gaming laws.
A court may impose a maximum penalty of $110,000 (US$71,000) per offence for a corporation and $11,000 (US$7,100) for an individual who publishes a prohibited gambling advertisement, while each penalty notice carries a fine of $15,000 (US$9,700), the regulator said.
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