CrownBet fined for illegal advertisements in NSW

Saturday 23rd of April 2016

Australian wagering operator CrownBet is to be fined more than $20,000 for illegal betting advertising in NSW, local media reports.

Liquor and Gaming NSW said that on Thursday last week, the Crown Resorts betting arm was convicted on five counts of publishing advertising that offered inducements for NSW residents to gamble.

The company pleaded guilty on all five offences, which involved a bonus reward point offer for the AFL grand final, NBA and Melbourne Cup.

Last year, an investigation by the NSW regulator found the operator had breached advertising regulations on five separate occasions in October and December.

CrownBet was ordered to pay a total of A$10,500 (US$8,097) in fines and to pay the Liquor and Gaming NSW legal costs of $10,000.

According to The Australian Business Review, CrownBet said it was “cognisant and respectful” of the regulations and was disappointed that internal administrative errors had caused the breaches.

“Working closely with the office of liquor and gaming, CrownBet has since made significant improvements to its processes and systems to ensure ongoing compliance with the regulations,” said a CrownBet spokesperson.

In December last year, the gaming regulator launched prosecutions against Tabcorp Holdings Ltd, Bet365, CrownBet Pty Ltd, and UniBet for publishing of gambling inducements in NSW. The Office of Liquor and Gaming (OLGR) has since issued a notice that it will not tolerate any form of gambling inducements in the state.

OLGR’s director of compliance and enforcement, Anthony Keon has said they are keeping a close watch on gambling related advertising across all mediums and will take regulatory action if they are found to breach NSW’s Racing Administration Regulation 2012.

The government further expanded the current definition on inducements to capture all types of inducements not just any “credit, voucher or reward”.

In March this year, NSW also added a ban on "live odds" gambling advertising on sporting fixtures.

The maximum penalty for breaches is $5,500.

Sports Betting Fine Charges Advertising Inducements Prosecution