Entain Group Pty Ltd, the parent company behind major Australian brands Ladbrokes and Neds, has entered into a court-enforceable undertaking with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) following an investigation that revealed over 500 breaches of national self-exclusion rules.
Failure to Protect “BetStop” Registrants
The ACMA investigation was triggered by consumer complaints regarding BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER). The agency discovered that Entain had not only opened accounts for individuals already on the register but also failed to close existing accounts promptly.
Key violations identified by the ACMA include:
- Opening four new wagering accounts for registered self-excluded individuals.
- Providing licensed wagering services to NSER registrants across 59 distinct days.
- Failing to close three accounts “as soon as practicable,” leading to 449 individual daily contraventions.
- Distributing 23 promotional messages that lacked mandatory BetStop information.
ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood commented on the severity of the oversight:
“Entain’s systems did not adequately identify and link all wagering accounts held by those customers across its services, including one account that remained open for more than a year after the customer had self-excluded. When people register for self-exclusion there should be no way for them to open new accounts for licensed wagering services in Australia.”
Remediation and Future Penalties
In response to the findings, Entain Group Pty Ltd has implemented a “single customer view” system to consolidate accounts across its brands and increased its “account washing” frequency to hourly cycles.
While the ACMA opted for an enforceable undertaking rather than an immediate fine, Entain remains under independent supervision for 18 months. Any failure to comply with these terms could lead to court-ordered financial penalties.
