Dabble Sports fined over AU$1 million for BetStop breaches

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has imposed penalties exceeding AU$1 million on the betting platform Dabble Sports for multiple breaches of national self-exclusion laws. The investigation found that the company failed to comply with BetStop regulations, which are designed to allow individuals struggling with gambling addiction to close their accounts and cease receiving marketing communications.

Specifically, ACMA reported that Dabble failed to close 157 wagering accounts after the users had registered for exclusion via BetStop. The regulator also discovered that the platform sent 839 electronic messages to 165 self-excluded clients and sent over 2,000 messages to 45 customers without providing required information regarding BetStop.

ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood characterized the incidents as “serious breaches” that had the potential to cause real harm, noting that providers must respect the decisions of those who choose to exclude themselves from online wagering. The regulator also identified weaknesses in Dabble’s marketing controls, including manual overrides of automated suppression measures.