PlayUp Interactive handed record A$586,000 fine in Australia over betting inducements
Draftstars parent company found to have displayed 33 illegal ads on its site which were determined to constitute an inducement to participate in gambling activity
PlayUp Interactive has been fined a record A$586,000 (£303,079) in New South Wales, Australia, after offering free bets on its website.
The operator, which trades as Draftstars, was handed the six-figure penalty in Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on 12 August.
The fine came after PlayUp was investigated by Liquor and Gaming NSW, with the regulator finding 33 illegal advertisements on its website.
PlayUp was found guilty on all 33 counts of publishing ads that includes “inducements to participate, or to participate frequently, in gambling activity”, according to the regulator.
Other inducements related to opening a betting account were also found.
It is illegal to offering inducements to bet in New South Wales, with similar regulations in place across other Australian states.
The A$586,000 marks a new record penalty for an Australian operator, with PlayUp set to pay more than double the previous record fine of A$210,000 given to Betr in April 2023.
The operator, which has since merged with BlueBet, was given the penalty by Liquor and Gaming NSW for breaching marketing regulations as part of its launch in October 2022.
Dimitri Argeres, Liquor and Gaming NSW’s director of compliance and enforcement, said the regulations on betting inducements were clear for operators in the state.
He said: “NSW bans the advertisement of any offer of an inducement to participate in a gambling activity, including an inducement to bet more frequently, to persons who do not hold a betting account with the betting operator.
“Wagering operators like PlayUp Interactive are able to 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.”He added: “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 offences, and this sentence shows that strong penalties can apply.”