BlueBet has been fined AU$50,000 by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) for breaching gambling advertising regulations.

The company was found guilty of 43 charges related to displaying gambling advertisements on or above public roads, contravening the Gambling Regulation Act 2003.

The charges stemmed from an investigation initiated by VGCCC, following a complaint from a member of the public. The breaches occurred over a two-week period in August and September 2022, with BlueBet’s gambling advertisements appearing on digital billboards at various locations, including Point Cook, Laverton, Rockbank and Ravenhall.

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Magistrate Greg Thomas, overseeing the case, expressed scepticism about BlueBet’s defence that it was unaware of the breaches, given the strategic placement of the billboards to target males aged 15-54 years old. While no conviction was recorded, Magistrate Thomas noted the high degree of negligence exhibited by BlueBet.

VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said: “Gambling advertising has no place on public roads where it is readily visible to children and other vulnerable groups. These places are especially difficult to avoid as part of day-to-day activities. This decision sends a clear message to wagering providers that flout these protections for our community.”

Although Magistrate Thomas considered imposing a higher fine and recording a conviction, he took into account BlueBet’s guilty plea, cooperation with VGCCC and measures taken to prevent future breaches. BlueBet has implemented changes to prevent similar incidents and has cooperated with VGCCC throughout the process.

The Malta Gaming Authority has published updated documents outlining the application process and requirements. This includes the revised list of documents required as enclosures with the application for the Non-Profit Tombola, as well as for the Non-Profit Lotteries, which can also be found in the “documents” section on the permits application page.

The revised documents include more detail on the application process, what the Non-Profit Lottery Terms should consist of, as well as a detailed list of enclosure documents.

Although applicants are urged to refer to the revised requirements at the earliest, these requirements will come into force from 1 May 2024. Hence, any applications submitted following this date will need to abide by the revised requirements. Any applications submitted after 1 May 2024, which are not submitted in full and do not include the proof of payment or the signed declaration, will be set to a one-time “Incomplete” mode for sixty (60) days. If the application is not resubmitted in full, whereby any missing sections and/or documents are filled in and/or uploaded successfully within this period, the application will be rejected and will be closed off. Applications submitted or re-submitted less than seven (7) days prior to the commencement of the tombola session/s will incur the additional twenty-five Euro (€25) non-refundable late application fee.

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The Non-Profit Tombola and the Non-Profit Lottery Permits will only be issued upon successful review of the application. Sale of lottery tickets or Tombola sessions cannot be held without the relevant Permit.