Australian betting company Betfair penalized with AUS$871,000 for breaching spam regulations in the country
Betfair Fined AU$871,660 for Spam Act Violations
Betfair Pty Limited, a well-known betting company, has been fined AU$871,660 by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for sending marketing emails and text messages to VIP customers without their consent, or after they had withdrawn consent, between March and December 2024.
The communications, which included promotional offers such as free event tickets and deposit incentives, were found to be in violation of Australia's spam regulations. Six of these messages lacked a clear unsubscribe option, breaching regulatory requirements.
ACMA member Samantha Yorke emphasized that sending promotional gambling messages without consent, especially to VIP customers who may be vulnerable, is irresponsible. She highlighted that VIP status does not imply financial well-being, and all customers must be protected equally under privacy and spam laws.
As part of the consequences, Betfair agreed to a two-year court-enforceable undertaking to overhaul its marketing practices. This overhaul includes independent campaign assessments, quarterly internal audits, comprehensive staff training, and regular compliance reporting to ACMA.
The ACMA has intensified enforcement of Australian spam laws in recent years, with Betfair's fine being among the largest issued for spam violations in Australia. In the past 18 months, the ACMA has issued over AUS$16.6 million in penalties related to similar violations.
Just last month, TAB was fined AUS$4 million for larger-scale infractions. The betting industry is under increased scrutiny as the ACMA works to ensure compliance with Australia's spam regulations.
Yorke reinforced that all customers, regardless of tier, must be protected under the same privacy standards. She stated that high betting activity does not imply financial well-being.
The recipients of these messages were individuals who had not consented to receive them or had previously opted out. Betfair distributed 148 marketing emails and text messages during this period.
The overhaul also includes regular compliance reporting to the ACMA. Betfair has committed to implementing these changes to ensure compliance with Australian spam laws in the future.
Betfair's violation of Australia's spam regulations extended to the domain of business and finance, as the betting company sent promotional offers to VIP customers via emails and text messages, without their consent. In the wake of this breach, the company agreed to revamp its marketing practices, including the implementation of stricter technology measures to ensure compliance with privacy and spam laws.
