Major gambling groups reported to federal police over in-play betting

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has acted on complaints it has received that William Hill and Ladbrokes have crossed the legality line in their new in-play betting drive Downunder.

The organisation has asked the Australian Federal Police to enquire into the companies’ tactics to establish whether they are breaking the law.

The issue hinges on a law which allows telephone betting but not live betting over the internet. The gambling groups, presumably after taking legal advice, argue that if the internet punter leaves his or her computer microphone setting on, it satisfies the legal “telephone only” requirement of the law, and they can place in-play bets.

The Australian newspaper reports that the two betting giants are of European origin and entered the Australian market in 2013 with aggressive marketing and promotional tactics. Other betting companies in the Aussie market have not followed their example in trying to find a workaround on the in-play betting ban, it points out.

However, industry observers have noted that in-play betting could improve gambling revenues for operators significantly, especially if online punters did not have to make a specific phone call and could wager through the internet.

But it’s a risky strategy if found to be illegal through police investigations and a subsequent judicial decision – local laws make provision for fines of up to A$1.7 million a day, along with jail terms for company officials!

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