With a loan. 
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Independent Senator David Pocock has accused the Albanese government of “clearly emboldening” the gambling industry through its ongoing failure to act on urgent reforms, saying Labor’s inaction has created the perfect conditions for companies like Tabcorp to aggressively expand inducements and in-venue betting.
TAB penalised $4 million for spamming VIP customers
Tabcorp Holdings Limited (TAB) has been penalised $4,003,270 for sending more than 5,700 marketing messages to customers of its VIP program that broke Australia’s spam laws.
An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found that TAB sent 2,598 SMS and WhatsApp messages to VIP customers between 1 February and 1 May 2024 without providing an option to unsubscribe from the messages.
The ACMA also found that 3,148 SMS and WhatsApp messages did not contain adequate sender information across the same period, and 11 SMS messages were sent without consent between 15 February and 29 April 2024.
Authority Member Samantha Yorke said the breaches were deeply concerning as they involved non-compliance by a large and established gambling provider that targeted VIP program customers.
“This is the first time the ACMA has investigated and found spam breaches in a gambling VIP program. These programs often involve personalised messages offering incentives such as bonus bets, deposit matching, rebates and offers of tickets to sporting and other events.
“The gambling industry needs to understand that spam laws apply to all direct marketing—whether it’s generic campaigns or personalised messages,” Ms Yorke said.
“VIPs should not be confused with gambling ‘high-rollers’. These types of gambling VIP programs can involve customers who are not well off and are experiencing significant losses,” Ms Yorke said.
“It is utterly unacceptable that TAB did not have adequate spam compliance systems in place.”
Under the Spam Act 2003, businesses must have consent before sending marketing messages. Messages sent with consent must also contain a working unsubscribe option and information about the sender.
“When people make choices to unsubscribe from a service they must be able to do so easily and their decisions must be respected by companies,” Ms Yorke said.
TAB has also entered into a 3-year court-enforceable undertaking. This includes an independent review of its direct marketing systems, making improvements, running quarterly audits of its VIP direct marketing, training staff and reporting to the ACMA regularly.
“The ACMA will be watching closely to ensure TAB meets its commitments and complies with the spam laws in future,” Ms Yorke said.
Cracking down on gambling safeguards and spam rules are current compliance priorities for the ACMA. Over the last 18 months businesses have been penalised over $16.9 million for spam breaches.
The ACMA has released a statement of expectations to help businesses understand how to use consent properly in e-marketing.
To report spam or learn how to reduce unwanted messages, visit the ACMA website.
ACMA:
Social media influencers: are you breaking the law?
Social media influencers are on notice: stop promoting illegal gambling services to Australians. If you don’t, you risk facing significant penalties.
The ACMA has seen influencers promoting illegal online casinos on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok and other social media. Influencers have been sharing links, promoting giveaways, or stream themselves gambling. The risks and penalties are high.
Find out:
- what types of online gambling services are illegal in Australia
- what actions will land influencers in hot water
- what the penalties are.
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What a mess.
Star Entertainment’s Brisvegas Casino deal with HK investors looks very shaky. I hope it brings down the whole company.
Australia’s peak medical body has issued a stark warning over a disturbing new trend: influencers allegedly glamorising poker machines on social media, with content described as “shocking” and dangerous for young audiences.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is calling on politicians and platforms to act swiftly, following the release of videos showing influencers inserting hundreds of dollars into pokies and encouraging followers to like or follow their accounts in exchange for continued play.
Betfair pays $871K for VIP customer spam breaches
Betfair Pty Limited has paid a $871,660 penalty after sending commercial messages that did not comply with Australia’s spam laws to its VIP customers.
An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found Betfair sent 148 emails and text messages between March and December 2024 to customers who had not consented or had withdrawn their consent to receive such messages.
The investigation also found that Betfair sent six text messages and emails over the same period that did not contain an option for customers to unsubscribe.
The messages were sent to members of a Betfair VIP program, offering inducements such as account deposits and free tickets to events.
Authority Member Samantha Yorke said the ACMA has no tolerance for non-compliance with the Spam Act in the gambling sector, including where messages target VIP customers.
“VIP programs are generally designed to attract and retain customers with high betting activity, however this doesn’t mean VIP customers are well off or can afford losses,” Ms Yorke said.
“Sending promotional gambling messages to these customers without consent or with no option to opt-out is incredibly irresponsible in addition to being non-compliant.”
“The spam laws have been in place for over twenty years and it is simply unacceptable for businesses not to respect the rights of their customers.”
Betfair has also entered into a 2-year court-enforceable undertaking that will require it to invest in an independent review of its marketing messages and implement improvements, as well as undertake staff training, quarterly internal audits and report to the ACMA regularly.
“This is the second recent ACMA enforcement action concerning VIP customers in the gambling sector. Providers are on notice that they need to have their compliance systems in order,” Ms Yorke said.
Over the last 18 months businesses have paid over $16.6 million in spam penalties. Enforcing compliance with the spam laws will continue to be an area of focus for the ACMA in 2025–26 under its enduring compliance priority of combating spam and telco scams.
The ACMA has also released a statement of expectations about the use of consent in e-marketing to assist businesses to comply with Australia’s spam laws.
Consumers can make a complaint about spam here. For more information about how to reduce unwanted emails, texts, and phone calls, visit the ACMA website.
Pokies joint in Fairfield in court over a breach of money laundering laws:
Star Entertainment has signed off on a binding agreement with its Hong Kong partners to sell its share of the Queens’ Wharf casino precinct in Brisbane.
In an ASX announcement just before 11am on Tuesday, Star said the new deal was almost identical to one struck in March, which will see Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium, which currently each hold 25 per cent of Queen’s Wharf, take over Star’s 50 per cent share.
A reminder from earlier this year:
So who will raise this issue with the Feds now to (hopefully) block this shady deal?
An explosion in unregulated offshore gambling is exposing Australia’s top sporting codes to “a significant risk of match-fixing and corruption”.
A News Corp investigation has revealed more than 300 unlicensed global sportsbooks from Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, India, China and the Philippines are offering AFL and NRL betting markets beyond the reach of regulators and league integrity units.
Traditional gambling operators such as Tabcorp, Sportsbet and Ladbrokes are required to report suspicious betting activity, but offshore casinos are not subject to regulatory oversight in Australia making them a safe haven for organised crime syndicates targeting sports.
Dozens of the offshore operators are also accepting cryptocurrency bets and sign-on bonuses of up to $1650.
Of major concern to sports integrity chiefs is the prevalence of “proposition” markets for specific events within matches such as disposals, first goal scorers or first try scorers, which are easier to manipulate.
Offshore operators are even offering markets on AFLW and lower-level VFL games.
The hotel barons and pokie manufacturers have had a word in Albo and the state’s ears. Much like the betting companies.
In its latest earnings update Star Entertainment told the market that it lost $471.5m for the 12-months until June 30.
Losses after significant items came in at $212.4m.
The casino has $189m in available cash as of Monday, $45m less than it had as of June 30, although that is partly due to paying $16m in back taxes.
The business also flagged group revenue declined 29 per cent to $1.18bn on the back of plummeting gaming revenue.
Sky News adds:
Star also revealed Bruce Mathieson will join the company as a non-executive director and start from September 1, pending regulatory approval.