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Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade
SportChamps, an online betting operator, was fined $17.500 for enticing people to open betting accounts and gamble. This follows five prior convictions for the same offenses.
SportChamps pleaded guilty to two offences of the Betting and Racing Act in Downing Centre Local Court following an investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW into advertisements posted on their website and Facebook page that said ‘Punt free. Learn the game and receive a free bet every day.
It is illegal in New South Wales to advertise or offer inducements for opening a betting account. Jane Lin, Executive Director Regulatory Operations at Liquor & Gaming NSW, said that it was unacceptable for SportChamps to continue to offend.
Lin stated that “SportChamps had five prior convictions for gambling advertisement offences in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.” It’s very concerning that the operator has multiple convictions, which are meant to protect people against gambling harm.
The company’s latest offenses were aimed at attracting new customers and increasing its market share without regard to the gambling laws of the state. After creating an account, users were given access to the SportChamps Tournament betting lobby webpage. This included free and paid gaming competitions. The deposit icon led users to a page asking them to enter their credit card information and deposit amount, or to make direct EFT payments to SportChamps.
Lin explained that “wagering operators are allowed to advertise and promote their products, but not inducements like increased odds or bonuses bets in order to encourage people to open betting accounts.” “Offenses such as these can undermine the regulatory framework. That is why we have a zero tolerance approach to this advertising.” New South Wales prohibits advertising any inducement for gambling activities, including an incentive to bet more often.
A similar prohibition applies to any inducements offered to open a betting account, to refer friends to open a betting, to keep a betting open, or to consent to gambling advertising. Any corporation that publishes prohibited gambling advertisements can be fined up to $110,000 and individuals are penalized at least $11,000.
