William Hill Australia wins battle for 'in-play' betting

Tuesday 27th of October 2015

British betting giant William Hill has won a significant battle with regulators after the Australian Federal Police rejected investigating its controversial practice of taking bets during the live play of sports, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority referred William Hill to the Australian Federal Police in August over a betting loophole which allows punters to bet live on sports via their smartphones.

William Hill - along with another British rival, Bet365 - has been operating the controversial in-play betting system for several months despite the practice appearing to breach the ban on taking bets on live sporting events online.

They claim that so long as punters keep their smartphone microphone on it still adheres to the rule that live bets during sporting events are made by phone only.

British rival Ladbrokes withdrew its in-play betting service in July after complaints but may now be tempted to re-enter the market.

William Hill said the investigation had been handed back to the media regulator and allows them to continue promoting the product during a busy betting period which includes the spring racing carnival.

"William Hill has received formal confirmation that the Australian Federal Police will not be investigating the complaints referred to it by the Australian Communication and Media Authority regarding its 'In-Play' product that allows customers to bet live during a game with just a few taps," the SMH quoted William Hill Australia CEO Tom Waterhouse as saying.