Playup Draftstars: $586,000 fine given to Australian gambling operator

A record fine of $586,000 (USD 390,000) has been handed to an Australian gambling operator for a breach of gambling advertising policy.

Draftstars, part of Australia’s biggest daily fantasy sports provider, Playup Interactive, was given a record fine for 33 illegal advertisements on its website. Liquor & Gaming New South Wales cracked down on the operator after it judged these ads breached existing gambling policy.

Liquor and Gaming New South Wales Director of Compliance & Enforcement Dimitri Argeres had no sympathy for Playup Interactive, saying that the operator knew the risks of the ads.

“Wagering operators like Playup Interactive can legally advertise their products in a variety of ways, but they can’t advertise or promote inducements such as offers of increased odds or bonus bets to entice people to open a betting account.”

Playup Interactive has been found guilty of all 33 violations and was given the record fine. In New South Wales, any operator or individuals who publish prohibited gambling advertising will be hit with a $110,000 fine, and $11,000 respectively as a standard.

In New South Wales it is illegal to promote gambling via incentives like free bets or offers. It is also unlawful to offer referral bets or offers linked to the opening of new gaming accounts or to promote correspondence that offers benefits via gambling advertising.

“It is the responsibility of the betting service provider to ensure prohibited gambling advertising is not published or communicated in NSW. Liquor and Gaming NSW will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to these offenses, and this sentence shows that strong penalties can apply,” concluded Argeres.

Australia has attempted to tighten betting regulations, as we reported, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) acting earlier this year to ban unregulated sites.

Former Prime Ministers of Australia have also been vocal about the risks that gambling poses to Australians, saying collectively that the country “has a gambling addiction.” The public letter was penned by former leading politicians John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull and was made available by the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

Image: Pexels.

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