BetDeluxe will be paying out AU$100,000 ($70,000 USD) to the The New South Wales (NSW) Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority for violating local laws on inducing gambling via bonus offers. Regulators further warned that other operators will be feeling the sting of a crackdown on illegal promotions.
At the heart of the matter were a series of promotions BetDeluxe ran on Facebook and Instagram that offered $50 in bonus bets on some sports bets and increased odds on some horse races. Those 21 ads turned into five charges of illegally inducing gambling and a major headache for the operator. Authorities point out that PointsBet offered similar ads in 2019 and were fined $20,000.
Australian regulators have been cracking down on gambling promotions for several years and in 2018 they raised the fines for operators who offered illegal promotions – along with the promise of stricter enforcement. “In 2018 the NSW Government introduced new laws to significantly increase penalties for wagering operators who are found guilty of promoting inducements to gamble, with maximum fines now set at $110,000 per offence for a corporation.
“Clearly some of these operators think gambling inducements are just the cost of doing business, but they are wrong, and they are pushing their luck. We will continue to bring these matters before the courts and seek higher penalties that reflect community expectations,” Hospitality and Racing CEO, Anthony Keon said in a statement posted on the regulator’s website.
BetDeluxe was charged $8000 for court costs in the matter. This was BetDeluxe’s first offense under their current license in NSW.