Australia's TopSport to pay $60,000 fine for illegal gambling advertisements

As reported on Thursday, August 28, Australia’s Merlehan Bookmaking Pty Ltd, trading as TopSport, was fined by the courts for $60,000 for posting illegal gambling advertisements, as a result of an investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW.

Liquor & Gaming’s Compliance Director Marcel Savary said under the Betting and Racing Act 1998, it is an offence to publish a gambling advertisement that offers any inducement to participate or participate frequently in any gambling activity. 

Savary explained that TopSport pleaded guilty to three illegal gambling advertisement offences in Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, August 27, and was fined $20,000 per offence, which amounted to a total of $60,000. 

The offences occurred in August and September 2020. Two of them relate to publications on the TopSport website, where a “Top Up” feature was promoted, which is a form of enhanced odds. The third offence, as explained by Savary, is related to the promotion of a weekly tipping competition on the Sporting Base website, offering TopSport bonus bets as a prize for the top tipsters. 

“The laws are there for a reason. Enhanced odds and tipping competitions linked to betting accounts have the ability to induce people to open a betting account when they otherwise may be refraining from gambling and they may encourage people to gamble more frequently”, Savary said. “During sentencing the Magistrate noted TopSport didn’t have previous convictions for this type of offence however there was a need for specific and general deterrence”.

The maximum penalty is $110,000 for offences contrary to section 33H(1) of the Betting and Racing Act 1998. Liquor & Gaming stated that it will continue to monitor betting service providers compliance with these laws and take strong action for serious and blatant offending.