SportChamps fined again in NSW for breaching gambling ad laws

Australian online betting operator SportChamps has been hit with another fine in New South Wales for inducing customers to gamble and open a betting account.

SportChamps pleaded guilty in Downing Centre Local Court to two offences under the Betting and Racing Act following a Liquor & Gaming NSW investigation into advertisements on its website and Facebook pages that stated “Punt for free. Learn the game!” and “Receive a free bet each day”.

The operator has been fined AUD$17,500 following seven previous convictions for similar offences.

Liquor & Gaming NSW executive director for regulatory operations Jane Lin said it was unacceptable that SportChamps continued to offend.

“SportChamps has seven previous convictions for gambling advertising offences from 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021,” Lin said. “It’s extremely concerning that this operator has amassed multiple convictions for breaching laws which are in place to protect people from gambling harm.”

For these latest offences, the company was found to have provided access to the SportChamps Tournament Betting Lobby webpage, which included access to free and paid gaming tournaments, once an account was created.

A deposit icon took users to a page where they were asked to input credit card details and the deposit amount, or they could make direct EFT deposits to SportChamps.

“Wagering operators can 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,” Lin said. “Offences like these have the potential to undermine the entire regulatory framework, which is why we take a zero-tolerance approach to this type of advertising.

“NSW bans the advertisement of any offer of an inducement to participate in a gambling activity, including an inducement to bet more frequently.”