On Wednesday, Palmer Bookmaking Pty Ltd, known as Palmerbet, entered into an 18-month court-enforceable undertaking with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) due to serious compliance failures with Australia’s national self-exclusion rules. An investigation revealed hundreds of breaches stemming from Palmerbet's inability to adhere to these regulations.
The ACMA's probe centered around a customer who registered with BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER), on September 2, 2023. Once a customer registers, it is the legal obligation of operators to close any existing customer accounts as soon as practicable. However, despite this requirement, Palmerbet proceeded to accept bets from this customer on 18 occasions between December 2024 and February 2025. It was not until February 22, 2025, nearly 18 months post-registration, that Palmerbet finally closed the account.
The ACMA detected numerous infringements, including 18 violations of section 61KA(3) of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 for providing interactive betting services to an individual who was self-excluded. Furthermore, there were 535 violations of section 61MB(5) regarding the failure to close the customer's account in a timely manner after their registration.
A critical aspect of the NSER's operation involves matching the details provided by customers against the register’s database. This requires operators to submit accurate personal information, including full names, dates of birth, and postcodes. In this case, Palmerbet made multiple submissions to check the customer’s status using incorrect details, such as a shortened first name and a wrong date of birth. These inaccuracies led to negative matches from the register, allowing the customer to continue wagering.
Documents show that Palmerbet first tried to register this customer with the NSER on September 6, 2023, but due to the erroneous information, a positive match was not achieved until February 22, 2025, after which the company closed the account.
The ACMA concluded that Palmerbet failed to adequately verify and manage customer identity data, noting that before the launch of the NSER, the ACMA and the register operator had outlined technical specifications for verifying identities using specific Australian government documents. Despite updating its onboarding processes in mid-2023, Palmerbet did not apply this verification consistently to legacy accounts, including the one in question. The ACMA indicated that had accurate data been provided in September 2023, the account could have been closed within a day.
Rather than pursuing immediate court actions or penalties, the ACMA accepted Palmerbet's commitment to comply through the 18-month enforceable undertaking. This agreement includes an independent review of Palmerbet's compliance with NSER regulations and an obligation to refund all deposits made by the self-excluded customer between September 2023 and February 2025.
Earlier this month, Dabble Sports faced penalties for similar infractions regarding BetStop compliance. Carolyn Lidgerwood, an ACMA member, highlighted the necessity of honoring self-exclusion decisions, asserting that “providers must respect that decision” and ensure they have reliable systems in place.
Additionally, the ACMA has taken steps to combat illegal gambling by requesting internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to sites operating unlawfully. The latest blocking requests target several gambling websites, including Bet Ninja, Riobet188, ThePokies33, Spade69, and WinShark. Since November 2019, the ACMA has requested ISPs to block 1,822 illegal gambling and affiliate sites, with 12 requests made earlier this June. The agency also noted that over 230 operators have exited the Australian market following the implementation of stricter enforcement measures since 2017.
