VicBet Faces Stiff Fine in Australia for Customer Safety Breaches
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined online bookmaker VicBet $130,000 for breaching its customer care obligations twice.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The Australian sportsbook was penalized after an investigation revealed that it had failed to comply with its licensing conditions. The first violation involved offering bonus credit to a user who had requested account closure, and the second was sending promotional materials to self-excluded customers.
In the first case, VicBet gave a $1,800 bonus bet to a customer who had submitted a request to close their betting account in September 2022. The patron accepted and subsequently received the bonus cash.
Under the law, bookmakers are prohibited from offering incentives, such as credits, vouchers, or rewards, to persuade account holders to keep their accounts open after requesting closure. As such, VicBet was fined $50,000 for this infraction.
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Violation of Self-Exclusion Rules
The company's second breach occurred when it sent repeated gambling promotions to a customer who had voluntarily self-excluded from the platform in March 2020. The Victorian Bookmakers' Association Code of Conduct prohibits sending promotional materials or correspondence to self-excluded customers. As a result, VicBet received an additional $80,000 fine.
Breaches can have serious consequences, not only in terms of punitive actions against the companies we catch out but for people whose lives are affected by this behavior. It is an egregious betrayal of trust, for example, to continue to send marketing materials to a person who has self-excluded from a gambling venue or closed a betting account. On these occasions, VicBet failed to live up to both its legal and social licenses to operate, which include minimizing the risk of harm to customers.
Before the penalties were determined, VicBet was invited to provide reasons why disciplinary action should not be taken, and submissions from their legal representative were reviewed.
RELATED TOPICS: Regulation
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