ACMA Fines Dabble Sports Over BetStop Breaches

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found Dabble Sports responsible for 54 breaches of rules covering the treatment of customers registered with the BetStop self-exclusion scheme.

According to the regulator, Dabble Sports failed to close 157 gambling accounts belonging to users who had enrolled in BetStop. As a result, the affected customers continued to receive marketing communications despite having registered for self-exclusion.

ACMA also found that Dabble sent 839 electronic messages to 165 BetStop-registered customers. In addition, more than 2,000 messages were sent to four individuals without information on BetStop.

The penalties were issued through two notices. Nine penalties, totalling €107,000 (AU$178,000), related to the failure to close accounts belonging to self-excluded users. The other 45 penalties amounted to approximately €535,000 (AU$891,000) and concerned electronic messages sent to customers registered with BetStop.

The combined penalties total more than €600,000 (AU$1.0 million).

ACMA reported that 156 of 229 accounts with no pending bets were identified as belonging to BetStop customers within seven days of their registration. Some accounts, however, remained unidentified for as long as 200 days.

Inactive account checks raise compliance concerns

ACMA had already raised concerns with Dabble regarding checks on inactive accounts in August 2024. The regulator said that reviewing such accounts at least once every seven days was reasonably practicable.

The authority also found shortcomings in Dabble’s marketing controls, including a system that allowed manual intervention to override automated suppression measures.

Carolyn Lidgerwood, ACMA member, 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.”

Dabble accepts independent compliance review

Following the penalties, Dabble entered into enforceable undertakings with ACMA and agreed to have its BetStop compliance systems and processes independently audited.

The audit will examine Dabble’s procedures for closing player accounts, its marketing activities and its overall compliance with BetStop requirements. The independent auditor will then provide recommendations to both Dabble and ACMA.

Using the auditor’s recommendations, Dabble will develop an implementation plan for the measures approved by its board and allocate the necessary compliance personnel to carry out the improvements.