Australian operator UBet prosecuted for drink gambling advert

Australian operator UBet has been fined by a New South Wales (NSW) court for a YouTube advert showing punters drinking and betting.

The video, called UBet Punters Academy, showed ‘students’ of gambling learning how to bet on rugby matches while drinking “glasses of alcohol”.

NSW’s 2012 Betting and Racing Regulation bans adverts promoting the consumption of alcohol while gambling, as well as advertising that induces NSW residents to participate in any gambling activity.

As a result, UBet was taken to court by state regulator Liquor & Gaming NSW, where the magistrate ordered the operator to pay a $3,300 (?1,800) fine and $4,500 (?2,400) to cover Liquor & Gaming NSW’s professional costs.

In its defence, the Tatts Group-owned operator said that there had been a misunderstanding over the advertisements’ placement and it had removed the advert when the drinking issues were brought to its attention. It pleaded guilty to the charges.

Liquor & Gaming NSW’s acting director of compliance Paul Irving said the case served as a warning to betting companies of the need to comply with NSW gambling legislation.

“Our compliance staff continue to monitor advertising online and in other media as part of investigations into potential breaches of NSW’s Betting and Racing Regulation,” Irving said.

“As this case shows, companies that break the law can expect to face prosecution in court.”

Irving added that the latest conviction followed previous prosecutions of sportsbetting companies such as Unibet, bet365, CrownBet, and Ladbrokes. Court action is still pending for a number of other licensed wagering operators.

A new voluntary advertising code for Australian betting operators is set to be implemented on Friday 1 July.

The guidelines from the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) will ban ads that include alcohol, as well as commercials targeted at children or suggest gambling can lead to financial and sexual success