Liquor and Gaming NSW fines Rob Waterhouse over illegal gambling ads

Liquor and Gaming New South Wales has fined the Australian betting giant Rob Waterhouse AU$4,500 for illegal gambling advertising.

Australia.- The New South Wales Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) has revealed that it has fined the bookmaker Rob Waterhouse for illegal advertising. According to authorities, Waterhouse was fined for breaches of the 1998 Gaming and Racing Act. 

Waterhouse had published gambling advertisements containing prohibitive incentives offering up to five bets per day. The ad was also shown on Twitter. The maximum fine for individuals for the publication of prohibited gambling-related advertisements is AU$11,000. However, as the bookmaker pleaded guilty, Waterhouse was fined AU$4,500 (US$3,244).

Valerie Griswold, Liquor and Gaming NSW executive director of investigations and enforcement, said: “The prospect of collecting more punters should not be an incentive to break the law; the law is there to help people keep their gambling under control.”

She added: “This is going to create an environment where betting service providers are vying for people’s business, so it’s important that advertisements don’t inadvertently encourage gambling harms in the process.”

In November, Focus Gaming News reported claims by Marcel Savary, compliance director of the Liquor and Gaming NSW, that some gaming companies were ignoring the state’s gambling advertising laws.

Savary said that the regulator has filed 119 allegations of violations of advertising laws this year. That’s a significant increase from the 31 allegations against seven sports betting companies in 2020. Savary said that the New South Wales gambling regulator was concerned about the rise.