PointsBet Australia has to pay a fine of AU$500,000 (AU$323,000) for breaching the country’s spam rules and sending email correspondence to people who are on the BetStop self-exclusion register.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigated the matter and found that the operator sent 800 emails that didn’t contain an unsubscribe button despite having direct links to its sports betting product.
disagrees with the size of the penalty and some of the investigation’s findings
About 500 marketing messages were sent to self-excluded gamblers, with PointsBet saying that human error led to the failings. It disagrees with the size of the penalty and some of the investigation’s findings, although it agreed to enhance its compliance systems.
In a statement, a spokesperson said the direct sports betting link was accidentally embedded in the operator’s logo. The spokesperson also remarked that no self-excluded gamblers were able to place bets or even log into their previous accounts.
ACMA Chairperson Nerida O’Loughlin criticized PointsBet for potentially endangering people who “are taking positive steps to remove online gambling from their lives.” She also said that operators need to ensure they fully comply with marketing rules or face the consequences.
