By BBBB
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has announced that sports betting operator BlueBet has been fined AU$50,000 (€30,189/$32,098) in court for breaching advertising rules.
The fine stems from charges brought against BlueBet in August 2023. Those charges alleged that BlueBet breached section 4.7.1 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 on 43 occasions. The charges were related to billboards placed in various locations between August 29th 2022 and September 11th 2022.
Local gambling laws state that ‘betting advertisements are banned on roads, public transport, and within 150 metres of schools.’ The VGCCC investigation found that the company placed billboards in five locations that overlooked public roads in direct breach of regulations.
In court, Magistrate Greg Thomas said that he did not accept BlueBet’s defence that they didn’t know they were breaching the law. He stated that even if the breaches were accidental, this showed a ‘high degree of negligence by BlueBet’.
The magistrate stopped short of recording a conviction and issuing a maximum fine of $70,000 after considering the company’s guilty plea and its cooperation with the VGCCC investigation. He also took into account the changes that BlueBet had implemented to ensure that similar breaches did not occur again.
VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said of the verdict:
“Gambling betting advertising has no place on public roads where it is readily visible to children and other vulnerable groups. These places are especially difficult to avoid as part of day-to-day activities. This decision sends a clear message to wagering providers that flout these protections for our community.”
So far in 2024, penalties issued by gambling regulators across the globe total £31,013,811 / €36,326,293 / $38,609,394.
English