Betfair has been fined AUS$871,660 by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for violating the country’s long-standing spam regulations.
The penalty follows the operator’s distribution of 148 marketing emails and text messages between March and December 2024 to individuals who had either not consented to receive them or had previously opted out.
Further scrutiny revealed that six of the messages lacked a proper unsubscribe option, a clear breach of Australia’s commercial messaging rules. The communications were primarily aimed at VIP customers and included promotional offers such as free event tickets.
ACMA member Samantha Yorke emphasized that being a VIP does not imply financial well-being, noting, “High betting activity doesn’t mean customers can afford losses.” She reinforced that all customers, regardless of tier, must be protected under the same privacy standards.
Australian spam laws have been in effect for over two decades, and the ACMA has intensified enforcement in recent years. In the past 18 months alone, it has issued over AUS$16.6 million in penalties related to similar violations. Just last month, TAB was fined AUS$4 million for larger-scale infractions.
In addition to the fine, Betfair has agreed to a two-year, court-enforceable undertaking requiring the company to overhaul its marketing practices. This includes independent assessments of its campaigns, quarterly internal audits, comprehensive staff training, and regular compliance reporting to the ACMA.
