Sportsbet to answer to AFP on live sports betting service?

According to The Australian newspaper, Sportsbet has been referred by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) regarding its live in-play betting service.

The ACMA investigation surmised that Sportsbet’s Bet Live gambling service may flout Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act, in a controversial grey area taken advantage of by other bookmakers who justify their product by customers using their device’s microphone in order to fall under the telephone call betting category in Australia’s gaming law.

Despite the challenge, Sportsbet remains steadfast in the legality of its product saying it had taken “eminent QC advice” and believes “it is wholly compliant with the Act” due to its use of voice call technology.

Former Sportsbet executive Matthew Tripp, who serves as chief executive of the recently launched CrownBet, took the high road saying he supported the proposed banning of live in-play betting by The Northern Territory Racing Commission, which is currently under consideration, and believes companies with live in-play betting services are “flying in the face of [Australian] regulation”.

Our readers will recall Tripp sold a 51 percent stake in SportsBet to Paddy Power in 2009 followed by the rest of the company in 2011 for a total consideration of $338 million.

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