BlueBet, a licensed Australian sports betting operator, has been fined $53,380 by the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission (NTRWC) over its treatment of a customer who gambled away $570,000, according to a report by Gambling Industry News. The NTRWC, described in the report as the regulator of most online gambling companies in Australia, called the conduct 'unacceptable' and 'extremely concerning'.
What the regulator found
According to the report, the man first wagered $40,000 in an 11-hour session. BlueBet then gave him VIP status and assigned a personal manager. The report says that manager encouraged him to keep betting and took a cut of his losses.
The report says it was about four months later, when the man had gambled $700,000 and showed what it called 'clear red flag behaviours', that BlueBet stepped in to check whether he could afford to bet so much. The source does not say what those behaviours were, nor give the dates of the conduct or of the regulator's decision.
The NTRWC said: 'Instead of monitoring the situation and engaging in meaningful responsible gambling actions, BlueBet chose to award the complainant VIP status and assign a dedicated VIP account manager, whose commission was tied to the complainant's net gambling revenue.'
"Instead of monitoring the situation and engaging in meaningful responsible gambling actions, BlueBet chose to award the complainant VIP status and assign a dedicated VIP account manager, whose commission was tied to the complainant's net gambling revenue." — NTRWC
Bonus bets and a refused closure
The report says that when the man ran out of money, his VIP manager supplied bonus bets and deposit matches, and placed funds directly into his account. On one occasion his request for bonuses was refused and he asked for his account to be closed. Within two minutes, the report says, the manager had credited $500 in bonus bets to the account. By then the man had already lost $4,000 that day.
The regulator concluded that the company prioritised retaining a profitable customer over its legislated responsible gambling responsibilities, according to the report.
BlueBet's response and the 'check-in' call
In its response to the regulator, BlueBet said it had phoned the man for a 'responsible gambling check-in' after he repeatedly failed to place bets on his credit card because of insufficient funds. The call went unanswered. The regulator found the call was not prompted by concern for his wellbeing but by 'payment processing issues'.
The report says that the day after the call, the man continued gambling. He asked his VIP manager for bonus bets and then wagered close to $400,000 with BlueBet. The source does not say whether BlueBet has commented publicly on the fine, or whether it disputes the findings beyond the response described above.
Wider context
The report notes that bonus bets have been a prominent issue in Australian public debate in recent years. It says the late Labor MP Peta Murphy called for inducements such as bonus bets to be outlawed. She argued they encourage riskier bets and higher losses, and undermine harm minimisation messages.
The report also says that earlier in August another Australian firm, named in the source as Sportsnet, withdrew television advertisements encouraging viewers to bet in multiples after severe backlash.
BlueBet is a licensed sports betting operator. Online casino-style services remain prohibited for Australian players under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and the licensed status of a sportsbook does not make it risk-free. Anyone concerned about their gambling can contact the national Gambling Help Online service.
The figures in this article come from the Gambling Industry News report. Pokiestralia has not independently verified them, and the NTRWC's full findings were not included in the source material.