Tabcorp fined for accepting illegal in-play bets

Neha Soni November 14, 2024

SiGMA news

Australia’s largest betting agency Tabcorp Holdings has been fined A$262,920 ($171,647) for accepting in-play sports bets online, which is a breach of the country’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) revealed that Tabcorp took 854 in-play bets on 69 different tennis matches between April and October 2023. This was despite Australia’s ban on in-play betting, which aims to minimise gambling harm by limiting the frequency and accessibility of betting during live events.

ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said about this measure, “In-play betting increases access to gambling opportunities and exacerbates the risks of gambling harm, as people can place bets with high frequency on multiple outcomes during sporting events.

“There has been significant growth in online sports betting in recent years and it’s important all online wagering services have systems in place so that illegal in-play bets are not accepted.”

The Australian operator attributed the violation to a technical issue within its betting system. The company said the issue first surfaced in April 2023 and was not resolved until October.

However, Lidgerwood said the reason given by the Australian operator for continuing the illegal online in-play bets is “concerning”. She said, “Tabcorp is a major wagering operator, and it is concerning that it took some six months for the system error to be identified and fixed.”

Tabcorp’s troubles

Tabcorp has implemented new controls and reported additional risk minimising measures to ACMA to prevent future breaches. ACMA noted that Tabcorp voided all affected bets, ensuring customers were not financially impacted and that the company did not financially benefit from the incident.

The company has been in deep water for some time, in August, Tabcorp was hit with a record $4.6 million fine after a Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) investigation found significant breaches of responsible gambling regulations.

These violations occurred between August 2020 and February 2023, highlighting serious shortcomings in Tabcorp’s adherence to its betting licence and responsible gambling code.