BetEasy fined for allowing self-excluded gambler to open account
The Australian corporate bookmaker BetEasy has been fined AU$50,000 after the gambling regulatory body in the Northern Territory found it allowed a self-excluded gambler to open an account.
Australia.- The Northern Territory gambling regulator has fined BetEasy more than AU$50,000 after it allowed a self-excluded gambler to open a new account and lose nearly AU$720,000.
According to local media reports, the Northern Territory Racing Commission found that in 2019 the gambler was contacted by one of the gambling operator’s affiliates, John Dow, and offered a new account in his wife’s name.
The regulator found that the company had violated two of its licensing conditions and failed to ensure sufficient checks to identify gambling addiction.
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BetEasy claimed that John Dow was not an employee of BetEasy but an affiliate of the company, and that the operator cannot be held responsible for the establishment of new customer accounts and player losses. According to reports, the company and the customer reached a private agreement on their dispute in April 2021.
The Northern Territory Racing Commission has issued two fines against BetEasy. The first is related to the Commission’s 2016 Code of Conduct for Responsible Online Gambling, also known as the RG Code. This violation resulted in a fine of AU$26,860 (US$20,100).
In addition, the regulator concluded that the operator did not comply with the terms and conditions related to the use of accounts by third parties. This resulted in an additional A$26,860 (US$20,100) fine.
The regulator said BetEasy may have violated another condition of its licence, related to setting up related account opening procedures and systems and customer identification to meet effective anti-money laundering rules.
