The Australian Communication Agency (ACMA) is set to investigate William Hill and Ladbrokes Australian online betting operations after the operators introduced new betting mechanisms which sidestepped restrictions on in-play (live) betting.
Last month William Hill and Ladbrokes Australia released the new ‘Click to Call’ features, which allowed customers to connect to live betting markets by activating their computer microphones with the operators live markets team. The bets are processed by the live markets team once the selection has been approved by the punters.
Australian online gambling laws prohibit licensed operators from offering in-play (live) sports markets to consumers. Nevertheless wagers on live sports are allowed to be processed over the phone. William Hill and Ladbrokes believe that its ‘Click to Call’ services do not breach the nation’s in-play gambling policies.
Upon the release of the Click to Call features, both operators stated that the services fell within the Australian Interactive Gaming Acts Code of 2001
Both betting operators have come under fire from anti-gambling Senator Nick Xenophon, who has led calls to the ACMA urging for an investigation into the services.
“If it is not illegal, William Hill and Ladbrokes are going against the spirit of the legislation. Basically they are giving the middle finger to the Interactive Gambling Act,’’ Senator Xenophon said. “How much money do these bookmakers want to make from problem gamblers?”
