Dabble Sports fined over AU$1 million for breaching self-exclusion regulations

Australian wagering operator Dabble Sports has been hit with penalties totalling AU$1,069,200 (US$760,265) following repeated failures to comply with BetStop, the nation’s self-exclusion register. 

On Wednesday, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found that Dabble Sports had failed to close 157 accounts belonging to customers who had enrolled in the self-exclusion programme. 

Furthermore, the company sent 839 electronic messages to 165 individuals who had self-excluded, along with a further 2,000 push notifications to 45 customers without including the mandatory BetStop information.

Compliance failures under scrutiny

ACMA’s investigation revealed multiple compliance breaches, primarily concerning account management and marketing controls. 

The regulator noted that several inactive accounts remained open long after users requested exclusion. 

Specifically, 156 out of 229 accounts with no pending bets remained linked to BetStop users seven days after self-exclusion registration. Some accounts were non-compliant for periods extending up to 200 days.

Carolyn Lidgerwood, an ACMA member, stressed the importance of respecting self-exclusion decisions, stating “providers must respect that decision” and “must have robust systems in place”. 

These remarks align with a broader regulatory focus on harm-minimisation within online gambling, where adherence to self-exclusion protocols is under closer scrutiny.

“These were serious breaches by Dabble. Wagering providers must have robust systems in place to protect people who have chosen to self-exclude,” Lidgerwood added.

Tabcorp Holdings Limited, one of Australia’s largest wagering and media companies was also fined more than AU$2.7 million earlier this year. ACMA clarified that Tabcorp had violated telemarketing and spam regulations over a 16-month period. 

It had sent over 217,000 marketing emails and SMS messages within a 16-day window to customers who had explicitly unsubscribed. ACMA regarded the volume and timing of these messages as significant enough to warrant enforcement action. 

Review and steps forward

In response to the penalties, Dabble Sports has agreed to a two-year court-enforceable undertaking. It has obliged the company to commission an independent review of its compliance systems. Dabble must develop a board-approved plan to implement these changes with appropriate resources.

An ACMA spokesperson reiterated: “BetStop is an important consumer protection measure, but it only works if wagering companies follow the rules.” 

As of January 2027, BetStop will be further promoted as part of a reform package to gambling laws in Australia. Following a statutory review, the government committed to improving system usability and boosting promotional efforts. It is also committed to funding ACMA marketing to support BetStop and recovering operational costs from industry participants. 

Additionally, the register will receive AU$28.7 million over four years, with AU$3.2 million ongoing annually beyond that to improve data-matching systems.