Regulator investigates after unlicensed gambling sites use Australian Open to promote offerings
Unlicensed operators are using the country’s biggest tennis tournament to promote illegal gambling services, Responsible Wagering Australia says.
Australia.- Industry groups say offshore sites have been exploiting the Australian Open to gain visibility and promote unlicensed betting services to Australian players, exposing gaps in enforcement. Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA), which represents licensed operators such as Sportsbet, Bet365, Betfair, PointsBet and Unibet, says at least three unlicensed sites have featured tournament branding or images of tennis stars in their promotions and around 10 launched Australian Open-themed offers.
The body claims that Vegastars ran a social media giveaway offering front-row tickets at Rod Laver Arena and a US$500 flight voucher using the Australian Open logo despite having no affiliation. It says around 2,500 Australian Instagram accounts engaged with a related post.
“The fact this is happening openly during Australia’s biggest sporting events shows how far enforcement is lagging behind the reality of offshore gambling,” said RWA chief executive Kai Cantwell.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) confirmed that Vegastars is operating illegally and said it would ask internet service providers to block access to the site. The regulator is also investigating other offshore platforms.
While ACMA has blocked 220 illegal gambling services across more than 1,450 websites since November 2019, critics argue that site blocking alone is not enough. Consumer advocate Lauren Levin has called for payment blocking measures, similar to those used in Germany and Norway, to prevent transactions to and from unlicensed providers.
