According to ACMA, both Entain’s Ladbrokes and Neds brands accepted in-play bets on the Bangkok LIV Golf tournament in October 2022. A total of 78 bets were processed during the final day of the event. Australian law prohibits all forms of in-play betting, with ACMA issuing the infringement notice for this breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
In response to the charge, Entain explained that the breaches occurred due to its parent company inputting the incorrect start time for the tournament into its systems. As a result, 59 in-play bets were accepted via Ladbrokes and 19 with Neds after the event had commenced. Entain became aware of the error three hours after the day’s play had started when a customer alerted them, leading to the voiding of all the in-play bets.
Entain emphasized that it has reviewed and updated its in-play compliance policy to prevent such errors from occurring again. This incident marked ACMA’s first infringement notice relating to a breach of in-play betting rules.
“Online in-play betting increases the risk for those experiencing gambling harm as it offers fast outcomes and allows for a higher frequency of bets,” commented ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin. “Entain, being an experienced wagering operator, should have had internal procedures in place to prevent or detect such errors. ACMA has made it clear to the industry that robust systems are required to ensure online in-play bets are not available or accepted.”
