Player sues Sportsbet and Beteasy over AU$600,000 in losses

An Australian man has sued the two betting firms, claiming they encouraged his gambling.

Australia.- A man has taken legal action against two betting companies, Sportsbet and Beteasy, alleging that they encouraged him to gamble despite being aware of his gambling addiction.

Alexander Gassner has filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court, accusing the firms of “unconscionable conduct” and seeking to recover nearly AU$600,000 in losses incurred between August 2015 and June 2021. He says the companies failed to offer assistance or intervention.

Gassner asserts that neither Beteasy nor Sportsbet made any effort to inquire about his ability to handle the losses or control his gambling behaviour. He alleges that instead the companies actively promoted gambling to him and enticed him to continue placing bets. 

In September 2020, Gassner switched from the Beteasy platform to Sportsbet but continued to experience big losses. He eventually suspended his Sportsbet account in June 2021 after consuming his savings and a portion of his business funds.

Gassner seeks to recover over AU$485,000 lost through Beteasy and AU$121,000 lost through Sportsbet, along with interest and legal costs. A mediation session has been scheduled for October 27, and the case will next be heard in the Federal Court on November 3. 

In May, Sportsbet was found to have breached industry advertising standards. Ad Standards, which manages the complaint resolution process for advertising self-regulation system in Australia, said an advertisement that suggested gambling could make men more attractive and lead to sexual success.

Back in 2019, the Australian gaming operator was also forced to halt an advertising campaign for a new mobile sports betting app after regulators ruled the app was sexist.

See also: NSW government warns operators to respect rules on responsible gambling messages