Entain hit with a five-figure penalty by the ACMA
FTSE 100 firm paid a A$13,320 infringement notice for accepting online in-play bets on the final day of the Bangkok LIV Golf tournament
Entain has been penalised by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after the regulator found that two of the firm’s brands had accepted illegal bets on the Bangkok LIV Golf tournament.
It was found that the online giant’s Ladbrokes and Neds brands had accepted 78 online in-play bets on the final day of the Bangkok LIV Golf tournament in October 2022.
As a result of this, Entain had to pay an infringement notice of A$13,320 (£10,679).
This figure is the largest amount that the ACMA can set for this kind of breach according to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and this marks the first time that the regulator has issued a penalty in relation to a breach of in-play betting rules.
Entain told the regulator that the breaches occurred as its parent company had put the incorrect start time for the event into their system. This led to 59 bets being accepted on the Ladbrokes platform and 19 on the Neds system. All the bets placed were voided.
The operator was only aware of the error when a customer informed them three hours after the final day’s play had started.
In addition to paying the notice, Entain informed the regulator that it had reviewed and updated its in-play compliance policy so that such mistakes would not happen again.
On the ruling, ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said: “Entain is a highly experienced wagering operator, and it is disappointing it did not have internal procedures in place to prevent or detect the error.
“Online in-play betting increases the risk for those people experiencing gambling harm as it provides fast outcomes and allows for higher frequency of bets.
“The ACMA made it clear to the industry last year that they must have robust systems in place to ensure that online in-play bets are not made available or accepted.”