In 2022, Sportsbet was fined a record $2.5 million by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The fine followed a detailed investigation that found the company had sent more than 150,000 marketing text messages and emails to over 37,000 customers who had attempted to unsubscribe from promotional messaging, or otherwise did not consent to receive it. Now, ACMA is revealed to have altered quotes in favour of the gambling giant.
Sportsbet repeatedly sent marketing texts and emails to tens of thousands of customers who had tried to unsubscribe, earning a then-record fine for violating Australia’s spam laws.
Initially, ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin described the conduct as deeply concerning, emphasising that the watchdog had received complaints from people experiencing gambling‑related problems who were trying to manage those issues by unsubscribing from promotions. The authority said that Sportsbet’s failures had the potential to contribute to financial and emotional harm for vulnerable customers and their families.
Now, according to an ABC investigation in late 2025, it has been revealed that Sportsbet pressured ACMA to alter quotes in a draft media release that emphasised the potential financial and emotional harm caused to vulnerable gamblers. The final release softened the language, reducing the emphasis on the impact of Sportsbet’s breaches.
Federal Independent MP, Andrew Wilkie condemned the revelations, “With the severity of what was done, they were only small and, some would say, subtle changes to the draft media release by ACMA, but they had the effect of significantly downplaying the harm caused by Sportsbet’s misconduct. It was an egregious act by Sportsbet.”
“These are some of the most vulnerable people in the country. It raises serious questions as to why ACMA even sent a draft media release to Sportsbet in the first place, and how the draft was then able to be altered in such a way that benefits only Sportsbet,” Wilkie added.
The ACMA’s decision to allow Sportsbet to suggest changes reflects an overly comfortable relationship between the regulator and the gambling giant. Wilkie is concerned that the regulator acted more like a “lapdog than a guarddog,” rather than holding the company fully accountable.
ACMA defended the changes, stating that the release was not diminished in any way and that draft media releases are shared with companies to ensure procedural fairness and accuracy. Sportsbet, meanwhile, said it only suggested edits to correct data, and that ACMA retained ultimate control over the content.
Wilkie warned that the incident signals broader issues in how gambling companies are regulated, urging closer scrutiny of ACMA’s dealings with industry players. “Critical changes to the media release reduced the severity of the impact of Sportsbet’s behaviour,” he said, emphasising the need for stronger safeguards to protect consumers from exploitative marketing.
The case raises important questions for gambling marketing in Australia, particularly regarding consent, ethical outreach, and the regulator’s independence in holding powerful operators accountable.
