The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has upheld the decision to censure OkeBet for breaches of the Australian state’s Gambling Regulation Act 2003.
OkeBet was found to have promoted to self-excluded individuals and to have offered illegal incentives to community sports club in 2024.
A fine of A$100,000 (£50,800) imposed by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) was not upheld by the tribunal.
However, submissions on a potential penalty will be required by 6 February ahead of another hearing with the VCAT.
Chelsea Football Club, Dandenong Football Club, Macedon Football Netball Club and Ocean Grove Football and Netball Club all received offers from OkeBet for affiliate partnerships.
In the Ocean Grove case, OkeBet offered the club A$100 per member or associate of the club that opened an OkeBet account and became an active player.
Similar A$100 offers per registration were offered to the other clubs named in the investigation.
Operators in Victoria are prohibited from offering people any credit, voucher, reward or other benefit as an incentive to open an account.
There is also a ban on exposing self-excluded people to promotional material.
Ian Proctor, deputy president of the VCAT, said: “The fact that a customer has self-excluded from holding a betting account with OkeBet is clear evidence that the customer does not consent to receiving direct marketing from OkeBet and has communicated their lack of consent to the receipt of direct marketing from OkeBet.”
The VCAT also found that some of the self-excluded recipients of OkeBet marketing suffered gambling-related harm, referring to a complainant who experienced “significant mental distress” and another who reportedly lost A$40,000 over 10 days with OkeBet.
Suzy Neilan, VGCCC CEO, said: “We took disciplinary action in September 2024 because we were concerned that OkeBet were taking advantage of community sporting clubs and exposing their supporters to gambling harm.
“We were also concerned that self-excluded people were still receiving promotional gambling offers from OkeBet.”
She added: “Local footy and netball clubs are often the heart of their communities, places where people come together to support one another.
“They should not be used as vehicles to promote gambling, particularly where those promotions include inducements that are prohibited by law. Furthermore, self-exclusion is a critical harm-minimisation safeguard.
“It is a clear signal from an individual that they do not wish to gamble or to be exposed to further gambling marketing. That signal must be respected.”
In August, the VGCCC fined QuestBet A$80,000 for allowing a customer showing signs of “gambling-related distress” to continue to place bets.
The post OkeBet censure over self-exclusion failings upheld in Victoria first appeared on EGR Intel.
Tribunal determines that a letter of censure alone will suffice, choosing not to uphold a proposed fine of A$100,000, with further submissions on potential penalty level to come
The post OkeBet censure over self-exclusion failings upheld in Victoria first appeared on EGR Intel.