Betting Ads Catch the Attention of Australian Gambling Regulator

The extensive sports betting adverts of CrownBet in Australia have caught the attention of the Aussie sports betting and gaming regulator as rival betting companies are stepping up their advertising battle before the NRL and AFL grand finals this upcoming weekend in the Australian market worth $21 billion a year.

According to Sydney Morning Herald, CrownBet in the sports betting operator that is under investigation by the Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing (OLGR) for breaching regulations connected to publishing advertising that offers bettors free credits or vouchers to take part in gambling or open a new account.

Reports say that the regulator has confirmed that it had warned CrownBet, owned by the Packer land based gambling group, that it may breach the above mentioned regulations as well as for failing to exclude the residents of New South Wales. As of this writing, there is no comment from the company.

The Game Just Changed Promo

The advert of CrownBet about its latest sports betting promotion ‘The Game Just Changed’ which has been in newspapers, online and social media websites, reads that every time bettors place bets at CrownBet, they earn rewards points which can be redeemed at Crown Resorts. “There is nothing like it, so start earning now,” continues the content of the advert.

The OLGR warned the sports betting operator for offering sports betting incentives to people from New South Wales and is continuing to crackdown betting companies that encourage these people to gamble.

Other Sports Betting Companies Convicted

It appears that CrownBet is not the only operator that has been warned for breaching this rule. Sportsbetting based in the Northern Territory was warned and fined $1,650 for offering a 100% bonus to new customers that would deposit into their accounts. The offer didn’t exclusive NSW residents. The operator also paid the legal costs of OLGR worth $1,800. Another operator, ClassicBet Pty Limited, was also fined for breaching legal gambling advertising rules and had to pay a $1,000 fine and $4500 in legal costs.

ClassicBet is also under investigation by the OLGR. It published an advert accessible to NSW people about its Premium Rewards Program which rewards punters for every bet, regardless if they win or lose.

The groups that stand up for anti gambling say that the adverts of gambling companies are predatory and place customers at risk. They also condition people into a mindset where gambling in normal. However, Matthew Tripp of CrownBet told Sydney Morning Herald that even though the extensive advertising gives the perception of an expanding market, this is not the case. He says that the online gambling market is growing between 10% and 15% year on year, but the entire sector is tracking in line with the economy. The strategy of Tripp is to focus on customer retention and not on instant rewards that competitors are offering to customers.