SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
William Hill Australia appears to have won the battle to keep its controversial ‘Click to Call’ betting feature, after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced that it would not investigate the operator for breaching online gambling laws regarding wagering on live sports markets
In August, the operators ‘Click to Call’ feature had been referred to the AFP by the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA), for breaching regulations of the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act.
Under increased scrutiny, William Hill Australia governance choose to support its product by not removing the feature from its betting inventory. In September Chief Executive Tom Waterhouse publicly defended ‘Click to Call’ stating “We’re 100 per cent confident the product is legal”.
This morning the AFP confirmed it would not proceed with its referred investigation “Following evaluation, in line with the AFP’s case categorisation and prioritisation model, this matter was not accepted by the AFP for further investigation,”
With the investigation handed back to the ACMA, William Hill declared that AFP’s actions would allow them to continue to promote ‘Click to Call’ functionalities.
Tom Waterhouse welcomed the AFP decision not to continue its investigation
“William Hill has received formal confirmation that the Australian Federal Police will not be investigating the complaints referred to it by the Australian Communication and Media Authority regarding its ‘In-Play’ product that allows customers to bet live during a game with just a few taps,”
“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.”
ACMA stated that although concerns remained regarding the feature, it would accept the AFP’s decision. The body further noted that it would concentrate on helping the ongoing review of the Australia Interactive Gambling Act being undertaken by former politician Barry O’Farrell
