PointsBet Australia Fined AU$500,800 for Breaching Spam and Self-Exclusion Laws

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has confirmed that PointsBet Australia has paid a hefty AU$500,800 fine following a string of serious, wide-ranging breaches of both spam and self-exclusion regulations.

An in-depth ACMA investigation revealed that between August and November 2023, PointsBet sent over 800 unauthorised marketing messages, including emails lacking essential unsubscribe options and SMS communications without proper sender identification—clear violations of Australia’s stringent spam laws.

Even more concerningly, the bookmaker was found to have contacted hundreds of self-excluded individuals registered under the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER). Between August and September 2023, 508 promotional messageswere sent to people who had explicitly taken steps to remove gambling from their lives.

From September to November, PointsBet sent 705 marketing emails with direct betting links—wrongly labelled as non-commercial—and devoid of any unsubscribe functionality. Seven emails were sent without recipients’ consent, and 90 text messages failed to include sender contact details.

In response to these significant and unsettling failings, PointsBet has committed to enforceable undertakings, including independent reviews of its marketing practices, the implementation of recommended procedural changes, and frequent, structured compliance training for relevant staff.

ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin issued a strong statement:

“It is deeply concerning that these failures have impacted PointsBet’s customers, some of whom had taken proactive steps to exclude themselves from online wagering.

People signing up to the NSER are taking positive steps to remove online gambling from their lives. Their decision must not be compromised by companies like PointsBet.”

This news comes within days of Wynn Resorts receiving a £4.4m fine from the Nevada Gaming Board.