Victoria regulator fines QuestBet for gambling harm failures
QuestBet has been ordered to pay a US$51,941 fine.
Australia.- The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined QuestBet for continuing to accept bets from a customer displaying “observable signs of gambling-related distress.” The online bookmaker has been ordered to pay AU$80,000 (US$51,941).
Suzy Neilan, VGCCC CEO, said QuestBet’s non-compliance with gambling harm minimisation obligations was indicative of a concerning culture. “Our investigation of QuestBet’s practices found the bookmaker failed to have in place adequate systems to protect individuals identifiably at risk of gambling harm,” she said.
“Minimising gambling harm is an obligation every operator holds – including bookmakers – who must monitor customer wellbeing and intervene if they observe signs of distress. This substantial penalty demonstrates the seriousness of the bookmaker’s failure to meet its legal and moral obligations.”
The investigation was prompted by a complaint from a customer who claimed QuestBet had allowed them to lose a significant sum of money in a matter of weeks without intervention. The VGCCC found that between April and June 2023, the customer contacted QuestBet more than 20 times to request additional credits and bonus bets. On six occasions, they mentioned having experienced several large losses.
“This was a clear sign that the customer was struggling. A sign that QuestBet chose to ignore, instead encouraging and enabling the customer to keep gambling with the aid of bonus bets in 5 of the 6 occasions. Consequently, the customer lost about AU$15,000 over two months,” Neilan said.
Within its ruling, the VGCCC set out how staff must provide assistance to customers facing negative consequences from gambling, including promoting the use of time and spending limits, as well as self-excluding from gambling or accessing help services.
VGCCC’s CEO said that QuestBet suggested none of these, “thereby breaching the Victorian Bookmakers’ Association Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct and causing further distress to the customer.”
