Dabble Fined AU$1 Million for Breaching Australia’s BetStop Rules

Australian bookmaker Dabble Sports has been hit with penalties totalling more than AU$1 million after regulators uncovered a series of breaches involving customers who had chosen to self-exclude from online gambling.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced on 16 September that Dabble had paid AU$1,069,200 following its investigation into the operator’s compliance with BetStop, Australia’s National Self-Exclusion Register.

Dabble Failed to Close 157 Betting Accounts

One of the most significant findings involved wagering accounts belonging to people who had already registered with BetStop.

According to the ACMA, Dabble failed to close 157 customer accounts after the account holders joined the national self-exclusion register.

Australian wagering providers are required to close the accounts of registered BetStop users as soon as practicable and must stop sending them electronic gambling marketing.

The investigation reportedly identified weaknesses in the way Dabble checked inactive accounts against the self-exclusion database.

Industry publications reported that some customers were not identified as registered BetStop users until more than 200 days after joining the scheme.

Hundreds of Messages Sent to Self-Excluded Customers

The investigation also found problems with Dabble’s marketing controls.

The bookmaker sent 839 electronic messages to 165 people who had self-excluded, including SMS messages, emails and app push notifications.

A further 45 customers received more than 2,000 push notifications that did not contain the required information about BetStop.

ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said

gambling operators must respect the decisions made by customers who register for self-exclusion and ensure their accounts are closed promptly.

She added that wagering companies need robust systems capable of protecting people who have actively chosen to stop gambling.

Dabble Placed Under Two-Year Compliance Undertaking

The financial penalty is not the only consequence for Dabble.

The company has also entered into a two-year court-enforceable undertaking with the ACMA.

As part of the undertaking, Dabble must arrange an independent review of its BetStop compliance systems and make the investment required to implement recommended improvements.

The review will examine how the bookmaker closes accounts belonging to self-excluded customers, prevents gambling messages from reaching those customers and complies with the wider requirements of the national register.

If Dabble fails to meet the terms of the undertaking, the ACMA can apply to the courts to enforce it.

Australia Preparing Tougher BetStop Penalties

The Dabble enforcement action comes as Australia prepares to strengthen the rules surrounding its national self-exclusion system.

New legislation taking effect on 1 January 2027 will strengthen BetStop and substantially increase the penalties available when wagering companies breach their obligations.

BetStop has become a central part of Australia’s approach to online gambling harm reduction since its introduction in 2023.

Players can register to exclude themselves from Australian licensed interactive wagering services, with operators then responsible for ensuring those customers cannot continue using their wagering accounts or receive gambling promotions.

The latest ACMA action highlights the increasing regulatory focus being placed not only on whether operators participate in the system, but also on whether their internal technology and marketing controls actually make self-exclusion effective.

For Australian bookmakers, the cost of failing those checks is becoming increasingly significant.