BetDeluxe faces fine from ACMA

(PRESS RELEASE) -- BetDeluxe, an online gambling provider in Australia, has been fined AU$50,172 by the Australian Communications and Media Authority for violating the regulator's unsubscribing rules. The ACMA received complaints that BetDeluxe had sent out SMS offers without an unsubscribe function and messages that did not include the sender's contact details. The text messages sent between December 2021 and February 2022 advertised a "cheeky punt" and "VIP service" for sports and racing and promoted bonus bets and money-back offers.

ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin stressed the importance of compliance, particularly when it comes to gambling, as the risk of financial and emotional harm can be significant. As a result of the investigation, BetDeluxe has committed to an independent review of its e-marketing practices and staff training on spam prevention, among other measures.

"We received complaints from a significant number of people, with many expressing their frustration about receiving promotions for gambling. Any spam can be annoying, but when gambling is involved the risk of financial and emotional harm can be pronounced, so it’s important that wagering operators take compliance very seriously."

The ACMA will closely monitor the company's compliance with the legally binding commitments it has made. This is the second time in a year that the ACMA has taken action against an online wagering provider for spam violations, following a similar investigation against Sportsbet in February 2022 that resulted in penalties and customer refunds.