Entain Mandated to Undertake Remediation by ACMA Over Self-Exclusion Violations
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has imposed a mandatory remediation program on Entain following discoveries that its Ladbrokes and Neds brands breached national self-exclusion policies on over 500 occasions.
Findings from ACMA’s Investigation
ACMA’s inquiry revealed that Entain’s systems failed to consistently identify and connect accounts linked to self-excluded individuals. Consequently, some accounts remained operational despite users being registered on BetStop, Australia’s official National Self-Exclusion Register. One case showed a self-excluded user continuing to gamble for more than twelve months due to an unlinked account.
The investigation also uncovered that Entain allowed self-excluded customers to open new gambling accounts, violating the rules that prohibit BetStop registrants from creating new accounts with licensed Australian wagering operators.
Additionally, due to weak onboarding and customer verification processes, Entain’s systems were unable to detect inconsistencies in user information such as different names or email addresses, letting BetStop registrants bypass restrictions. The regulator also noted that Entain failed to effectively communicate BetStop’s importance through required methods including emails and SMS.
Future Steps and Consequences
As a result of the findings, Entain has agreed to an 18-month court-enforceable remediation plan. This plan mandates an independent audit of their compliance measures and obliges the company to implement improvements based on the review outcomes.
While ACMA did not issue a formal infringement notice, it warned that failure to comply with the remedial obligations could lead to court-imposed penalties. Entain is committed to enhancing its identity verification and account linking procedures, and introducing additional manual checks when discrepancies arise.
ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood emphasized the gravity of the breach, affirming that self-exclusion registrants should be barred from opening new accounts with any licensed gambling operator in Australia. This situation underscores the persistent difficulties operators face in safeguarding self-excluded customers.
In related developments, Entain recently announced that Ricky Sandler, founder of Eminence Capital, has resigned as a non-executive director amid the conclusion of the operator’s partnership with the asset management firm.
