O’Shea Bookmaking, the online bookmaker trading as TexBet, has been fined AU$33,000 (approximately €20,564) by Liquor & Gaming New South Wales (NSW) for ignoring a customer’s request to have their account closed.
A customer at the operator requested to close their account in May 2022 and opted out of receiving marketing material. Despite this, TexBet continued to market its services and accept bets from the individual.
Following a complaint raised by the player, the regulator investigated and found that TexBet had accepted 75 new bets from the individual after they attempted to close their account.
It was also found that TexBet had sent the customer four ads via text message.
As a result, the operator was sentenced in the Downing Centre Local Court for offences under the NSW Betting and Gaming Act 1998.
Liquor & Gaming NSW executive director of regulatory operations Jane Lin said that TexBet’s actions seriously breached NSW’s gaming laws.
“By engaging in this behaviour, TexBet has broken a law that was put in place to protect vulnerable people who are trying to exclude themselves from gambling.
“These laws were specifically developed to reduce the risk of gambling harm by requiring online betting businesses to make it simple for people experiencing harm to self-exclude and opt not to receive ads about gambling products,” Lin added.
“Not only has TexBet broken the law, but it also placed this individual at greater risk of further gambling harm by sending them ads and accepting their bets after they specifically requested for their account to be closed and not to receive gambling ads.”