William Hill Australia wins key in-play legal battle
Australia Federal Police will not investigate complaints into the legality of the operator's live betting product
William Hill Australia has won a key battle in the dispute over its controversial in-play betting product after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed it would not be investigating complaints concerning its legality.
The operator received formal confirmation from the country’s federal police agency earlier today that the AFP had decided not to launch an investigation into issues raised by the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA).
Chief executive of William Hill Australia, Tom Waterhouse, welcomed the news and said the AFP’s decision was a major victory for the industry in its fight against illegal offshore wagering.
“This is a great outcome for Australian punters who will no longer be forced to bet in-play via illegal offshore bookmakers which pose a huge threat to both consumer protection and the integrity of Australian sport,” Waterhouse said.
‘In-Play’, originally launched in April as ‘Click to Call’, is available on both WilliamHill.com.au and TomWaterhouse.com.au and is designed as a solution to the country’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which prohibits operators from offering online live betting.
Under the law, operators can only accept in-play wagers placed over the phone which has meant William Hill Australia’s product, which enables customers to place bets via the website so long as the device’s microphone is switched on, had come under significant scrutiny from regulatory authorities.
William Hill Australia has long argued the legality of its In-Play feature and, according to group CEO James Henderson, had received a significant amount of legal advice to ensure it was fully compliant.
Last month the operator unveiled a new online video marketing campaign to promote the live betting feature, despite the AFP’s potential investigation.
Today’s news will also be welcomed by bet365, which also offers live betting via its BetCall feature, while Ladbrokes may now re-introduce its in-running betting product after pulling ‘Quickcall’ earlier this year due to the intense scrutiny and potential illegality.