The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued online operator ReadyBet a remedial direction after it breached rules around marketing.
The firm was found to have sent 273 texts and push notifications from its mobile app to customers that were registered with BetStop – Australia’s national self-exclusion register – as per an investigation from the ACMA.
The regulator also found that ReadyBet failed to promote BetStop in any of the 2,342 push notifications it sent out to customers, despite it being mandatory for all operators to do so in any electronic marketing materials.
The ACMA started its investigation in February 2024, looking at potential breaches between August 2023 and December 2023, with the investigation focused on four days of marketing activity in the period.
The regulator found that ReadyBet’s internal marketing systems were not being properly updated to reflect consumers’ preferences.
ReadyBet itself added that latency and manual process issues had exacerbated the problem.
Messages sent to customers included unique VIP messages and money back offers. ReadyBet did send out an apology message to all affected customers after it had discovered the error.
Of the 273 texts and push notifications, 114 were in the form of SMS messages to 107 unique mobile numbers. The remaining 159 push notifications were sent to 159 individuals.
Under the terms of the remedial agreement, ReadyBet has been ordered to commission an independent review of its marketing practices, including how it relies on third-party suppliers.
Additionally, ReadyBet must also work with an external provider to deliver training for staff members regarding this issue to ensure marketing messages aren’t being sent to self-excluded individuals.
Should ReadyBet fail to comply with the remedial direction, the ACMA possesses the power to seek civil penalties.
Earlier this month, the ACMA ordered the blocking of five more illegal gambling websites by internet service providers (ISPs) after all five were found to have breached Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The list of blocked sites included Australia-based affiliate platform Best Aussie Pokies and variations of online casino Winspirit.com, all of which are operated by Curaçao-licensed company Complete Technologies NV.
“Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling,” the regulator explained.
“Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1,279 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked.”
In other regulatory news, last month saw the authority warn social media influencers across Australia about the risks of promoting illegal online gambling operators.
Having claimed to have seen influencers promoting illegal online casinos on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other social media platforms, the ACMA issued a reminder that online slots and casino games such as blackjack are illegal in the country.
The post ReadyBet warned by ACMA over self-exclusion marketing breaches first appeared on EGR Intel.
Australian operator issued remedial direction by the regulatory body for sending marketing materials to BetStop-registered players
The post ReadyBet warned by ACMA over self-exclusion marketing breaches first appeared on EGR Intel.