Amused Group has been fined $13,770 after sending an email campaign promoting its Melbourne Cup wagers to hundreds of gamblers who had asked to be banned from betting adverts.
The Norther Territory Racing Commission, which regulates most online gambling companies in Australia, said the breach was a “serious breach” and that it should serve as a warning to other bookmakers.
The email came from the BetNation brand and was part of its “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” campaign, which told the 7,713 people emailed that it would accept bets of up to $1,000 on an horse in the Melbourne Cup.
However, that list included 772 people who had asked to be banned from betting advertising either via the Northern Territory Racing Commission or directly by the company among the group contacted.
The email also told customers that they could win bonus payments of up to $50 if the horse they chose finished second to 10th.
According to the decision published online, Amused told the commission that:
“Emails [were] sent to the wrong client list due to human error”.
“Amused promptly sent an email retracting the promotional email, apologising for the error, and advising how to make a complaint about the error,”
“No self excluded persons were able to open or reopen an account and place a bet.
“Corrective and preventative measures have now been put in place to prevent a recurrence of this type of error in the future.”
$13,770 is half the maximum amount that the commission can dish out.
“The commission considers this to be a serious breach, noting the potential for harm to persons who have admitted that they have a gambling problem and have taken positive steps to prevent themselves from opening and operating a betting account,” the decision said.
