O'Shea Bookmaking Pty, trading as TexBet, has been fined AUD 33,000 (USD 22,791) for violating the 1998 Betting and Racing Act.
The Downing Centre Local Court imposed the penalty on the operator for accepting new bets and sending gambling advertisements to customers who attempted to close their accounts.
The alleged misconduct occurred around May 2022, when a customer complained that they received gambling advertisements despite having withdrawn consent to receive such ads and requesting their account be closed. They placed 75 new bets, which were accepted by TexBet. The New South Wales Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation investigated the charges.
Regarding the case, Jane Lin, the Executive Director of Regulatory Operations at the New South Wales Office of Liquor and Gaming, stated: "TexBet's actions violated laws designed to protect vulnerable groups from gambling... TexBet not only broke the law but also sent advertisements and accepted bets from this gambler after they explicitly requested their account be closed and no longer wished to receive gambling ads, exposing them to further gambling harm risks.
"Online gambling businesses operating in New South Wales need to ensure they have robust systems in place to prevent advertising directly to those who opt out. If they fail to comply with New South Wales gambling laws, they should be caught and prosecuted."
Furthermore, the New South Wales Office of Liquor and Gaming has launched a new compliance operation to check if licensed operators in the region adhere to new safer gambling measures. These measures include the introduction of Responsible Gambling Officers (RGO), which took effect in July in pubs and clubs across New South Wales.
Additionally, in Australian compliance news, The Star Entertainment Group has confirmed it has responded to a notice of appearance from the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC).
The notice was issued in mid-September against the operator concerning violations of the second Bell report, which involves the operator's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing failures. These ongoing charges could also be one of the reasons for the operator's net profit decline of 71% in the fiscal year 2024.
