Dabble Sports has been found in violation of regulations governing BetStop self-exclusions, incurring penalties amounting to more than €600,000. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) identified a total of 54 breaches during its investigation. Dabble Sports failed to close 157 gambling accounts of users who had registered for exclusion via BetStop, leading to the company inadvertently sending marketing messages to those individuals who had opted out of online gambling.
Additionally, ACMA reported that Dabble sent 839 electronic messages to 165 clients signed up for BetStop and over 2,000 messages to four individuals without including information on their BetStop status. The company received nine penalties totaling €107,000 (AU$178,000) for the failure to close accounts of excluded users. The remaining 45 penalties contributed to €535,000 (AU$891,000) related to the unauthorized sending of electronic communications to BetStop clients. In total, Dabble faces penalties exceeding €600,000 (AU$1.0 million).
After the registration of clients with BetStop, ACMA found that 156 out of 229 accounts without pending bets were associated with BetStop clients within seven days, while some accounts took nearly 200 days to be identified.
Concerns about inactive account checks were raised by ACMA back in August 2024, emphasizing that providers should ensure checks occur at least every seven days. ACMA also pointed out shortcomings in Dabble’s marketing controls, particularly the potential for manual overrides to bypass automated suppression measures.
Carolyn Lidgerwood, a member of ACMA, stated, "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."
In response to the penalties, Dabble has agreed to undertake enforceable measures with ACMA, committing to an independent audit of its compliance systems related to BetStop. The auditor will review Dabble’s account closure processes and marketing programs, assessing overall adherence to BetStop requirements. Following this review, the independent expert will provide recommendations, which Dabble will use to create an implementation plan subject to board approval, designating specific compliance personnel for these improvements.
