Sportchamps fined over illegal gambling ad

Australian online betting company Sportchamps has been fined $2,500 by the New South Wales Liquor & Gaming board for illegal gambling advertising.

In addition to the fine, the operator was also ordered to pay $3,250 in legal costs for breaching New South Wales gambling laws by the New South Wales District Court.

The fine is in relation to an advert first shown on the company’s website in July 2018, which read “Matched first time deposit bonus up to $50 – Deposit for the first time and we’ll match your deposit with Bonus Cash, up to $50. Keep the winnings from Bonus Cash”.

In the same image, there was additional link which gave players the opportunity to sign up for free.

Any advertisement which offers an “inducement to participate or participate frequently, in any gambling activity” is illegal under the New South Wales Betting and Racing Act.

Despite no individual signing up for the offer, New South Wales Liquor & Gaming director of compliance operations, Sean Goodchild, asserted the advertisement clearly breached New South Wales law.

“Advertising gambling inducements is unlawful in NSW, and operators who flout or try to get around these restrictions are acting against industry and community interests and increasing risks of gambling harms,” Goodchild added.

Sportchamps is the second operator to be fined by the New South Wales Liquor & Gaming board for advertising practices in the space of two months, following Sportsbet’s $10,000 fine for also offering inducements to players.

Sportsbet received the fine from the board in March for offering players a $100 bonus if they could persuade friends to open an account.