Tabcorp fined $262k for accepting illegal in-play bets

Tabcorp has been hit with a $262,920 fine for accepting illegal in-play bets on sports events, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) revealed on Wednesday.

An ACMA investigation found that the gambling giant had taken 854 live wagers online across 69 tennis matches between April and October last year.

ACMA spokesperson Carolyn Lidgerwood commented on the importance of minimising the potential risk associated with such practices.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

Under the terms of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, it is illegal for Australian bookmakers to offer or accept in-play bets online.

While Tabcorp claimed the breach occurred due to a technical issue that arose in April 2023, Lidgerwood expressed concern at how long it took the operator to rectify the problem.

“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,” she said.

This is not the first time Tabcorp has run afoul of Australia’s online gambling watchdog, as it was issued a formal warning in 2021 for taking live bets on a US college basketball game.

Last year, the company was fined $1 million by the Victorian Gaming and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) for system failures that occurred during the 2020 Spring Racing Carnival.

The VGCCC also stung Tabcorp with a $4.6 million penalty in August this year for failing to meet a number of regulatory requirements.

Sport & gambling news