Australian regulator in new online gambling advertising probe
News on 4 Oct 2015
News on 4 Oct 2015
Already under pressure for contentious work-arounds on internet in-play betting, some Australian online operators were advised of a further probe this weekend by the New South Wales Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that heavy advertising offering bonus bets in the lead-up to this weekend’s football grand finals appears to have triggered the regulator’s latest investigation, which targets CrownBets and a number of other unidentified companies who are also accused of publishing “gambling-related inducements.”
A statement from an OLGR spokesman revealed:
“There are also a number of other investigations under way involving other licensed wagering operators who are also publishing gambling-related inducements but it would not be appropriate to discuss further details on these matters as it could prejudice current inquiries.”
The spokesman added that the OLGR will continue to monitor gambling-related advertisements across all mediums and will take appropriate regulatory action if they are found to breach NSW’s Racing Administration Regulation 2012, which prohibits publishing advertising that offers NSW residents “any credit, voucher or reward as an inducement to participate in gambling or open an betting account.”
A spokesman for CrownBet declined to comment.
The newspaper reports that sports betting agencies have noticeably stepped up their battle for market share this year. The Standard Media Index showing that, in the year to August, $149.1 million was spent on gambling ads, up from $104.5 million for the same period last year.
Undaunted by the sudden interest in in-play betting by the authorities , William Hill Australia CEO Tom Waterhouse, announced on Friday that the company will be including a new In-Play betting system for horse racing which will allow betting for the first 20 seconds of any race.
A spokesman for the Minister for Racing, Deputy Premier Troy Grant, said: “The government is monitoring the changing gambling sector and will continue to evaluate its policies to ensure they, and the associated penalties, reflect the contemporary gambling environment.”
