Dabble has paid a A$1.1m (£582.153) penalty to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after an investigation found the operator breached the country’s online gambling self-exclusion rules.
The regulator said Dabble failed to close 157 accounts on its platform that had been registered with the national self-exclusion register BetStop.
It also found 839 messages were sent to 165 self-excluded customers, via text, email and app notifications, while 45 customers were sent over 2,000 push notifications which failed to mention BetStop.
Self-exclusion regulations in Australia stipulate that information on BetStop must be included in operator marketing materials.
The rules also specify operators must shut down the accounts of customers registered to the self-exclusion register “as soon as practicable and cease sending them any electronic marketing”.
As part of the penalty, Dabble has agreed to undergo a two-year court-enforceable undertaking that will see the firm conduct an independent review of its internal compliance systems and invest and implement recommended improvements accordingly.
Commenting on the ruling, ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said: “People who register with BetStop have made a clear decision to exclude themselves from online wagering.
“Providers must respect that decision by closing their accounts promptly and ensuring they are not targeted with gambling promotions.
“These were serious breaches by Dabble. Wagering providers must have robust systems in place to protect people who have chosen to self-exclude.
“BetStop is an important consumer protection measure, but it only works if wagering companies follow the rules. The ACMA will take action where wagering providers fail to meet their obligations.”
Recent enforcement from the ACMA includes a A$2.7m penalty to Tabcorp for violating spam and marketing laws, as well as a probe into Entain for breaching self-exclusion laws.
EGR has contacted Dabble for comment.
The post Dabble hit with A$1.1m fine over self-exclusion rule breaches first appeared on EGR Intel.
Australian Communications and Media Authority finds operator failed to include information about BetStop in its marketing and sent over 800 messages to self-excluded customers
The post Dabble hit with A$1.1m fine over self-exclusion rule breaches first appeared on EGR Intel.