The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) announced that it has fined an online bookmaker for “poor behavior.” The sportsbook in question was accused of taking wagers from a customer who was clearly distressed.
QuestBet Allowed a Distressed Customer to Play
According to the VGCCC, QuestBet had allowed a consumer to continue playing despite clear indications of gambling-related stress. The issue was reported by the customer in question, who said that the sportsbook had allowed them to continue betting despite their losing spree. As a result, the player ended up losing a “significant sum of money” in just a few weeks.
The complaint insists that QuestBet never intervened to protect the player from harm.
The VGCCC launched an investigation into the matter and learned that between April and June 2023, the customer had contacted QuestBet over 20 times, requesting additional credits and bonus bets. During 6 of the times the player reached out to the operator, they mentioned that they had accumulated significant losses.
According to the Victorian regulator, this was a clear sign that the player was experiencing gambling-related distress. Instead of intervening, however, QuestBet obliged and granted the customer bonus bets on 5 of the 6 occasions in which they mentioned losses.
QuestBet Did Not Have Sufficient Player Protections in Place
Suzy Neilan, QuestBet’s chief executive officer, understood that QuestBet had allowed the customer to lose about AUD 15,000 over two months. She slammed the operator for its apparent lack of gambling harm minimization protocols and “concerning culture.
Our investigation of QuestBet’s practices found the bookmaker failed to have in place adequate systems to protect individuals identifiable at risk of gambling harm.
Suzy Neilan, CEO, VGCCC
Neilan added that all gambling operators are expected to protect consumers from harm by closely observing their behavior and determining whether there are signs of distress. Not only did QuestBet not do that, but it also failed to issue a formal response to the regulator’s request for an explanation for the lack of care.
Because of QuestBet’s violations, the operator was slammed with an AUD 80,000 penalty for its failures. Neilan noted that this penalty “demonstrates the seriousness of the bookmaker’s failure to meet its legal and moral obligations.”
An in-depth list with the reasons for the VGCCC’s decision is available on the regulator’s official website.
The VGCCC urged consumers to report such instances of non-compliance by contacting the commission either online or via phone. In addition to that, the authority encouraged those affected by gambling to seek Gambler’s Help’s counseling.