BlueBet fined by Australian regulator for “unacceptable” responsible gambling failings
The Northern Territory Racing Commission has issued a AU$53.000 fine to the bookmaker.
Australia.- The Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission (NTRWC) has fined BlueBet AU$53.380 (US$34.918) and ordered it to return AU$522.020 (US$341.481) to a customer, following “serious” breaches of responsible gambling rules.
An investigation conducted by the regulator revealed concerning practices by the online bookmaker when handling a high-stakes VIP customer in 2021. The commission noted one instance in which the customer spent approximately AU$40.000 (US$26.166) during an 11-hour session, after which the manager encouraged further gambling activity.
“Instead of monitoring the situation and engaging in meaningful responsible gambling actions, BlueBet chose to award the complainant VIP status and assign a dedicated VIP account manager, whose commission was tied to the complainant’s net gambling revenue,” the NTRWC said.
The commission found that between August and December 2021, BlueBet failed to detect “red flag behaviours” and did not engage in “appropriate customer interactions,” despite the customer depositing over AU$700.000 (US$457.908) and losing nearly AU$570.000 (US$372.868).
In January 2022, the customer filed a formal complaint with the regulator, alleging that BlueBet had ignored clear warning signs of problem gambling. He claimed the bookmaker only intervened after significant losses had occurred, and even then, inadequately. BlueBet rejected argued that it had taken “appropriate and timely action.”
“BlueBet missed multiple opportunities for timely and appropriate action,” the regulator said.
