Palmerbet Breach: Self-Excluded Customer Allowed to Place 312 Bets

Palmerbet, a bookmaker in Australia, has signed an 18-month court-enforceable undertaking agreement with Australia’s communication authority after taking 312 wagers from a gambler who had registered his name under the national gambling self-exclusion program. 

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According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the gambler had registered himself under the BetStop, National Self-Exclusion Register in September 2023. Palmerbet closed down the gambler’s account in February 2025, nearly 17 months later.

Bets Placed Over 3-Month Period

The 312 bets were accepted between December 2024 and February 2025, the regulator said. Under BetStop rules, wagering operators must close the accounts of registered customers as soon as practicable and stop providing them with online wagering services.

The incident highlights the obligations placed on licensed operators to act quickly once a customer registers with the self-exclusion scheme. BetStop is designed to prevent individuals who have chosen to exclude themselves from gambling from placing further bets with participating operators.

Palmerbet, operated by Palmer Bookmaking Pty Ltd, has repaid all deposits the customer made between joining BetStop and the account’s closure, according to the ACMA. The repayment covers the full amount deposited during the period the customer was registered with the self-exclusion register.

Compliance Review Required

Under the undertaking, Palmerbet must commission an independent review of its compliance systems and processes and invest in the recommended improvements. The ACMA can seek Federal Court enforcement if the bookmaker fails to comply.

The requirement for an independent review is intended to identify weaknesses in the operator’s systems and ensure that appropriate changes are made. The duration of the undertaking is 18 months, thus providing the regulator an opportunity to keep an eye on how the bookmaker is progressing in dealing with the problems that contributed to the breach.

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Operators who do not fulfill the conditions set out in the agreement are likely to be subject to additional steps by the ACMA, which might include legal enforcement actions taken in the Federal Court. This shows an additional level of accountability for the self-exclusion undertaking and how seriously the regulator takes it.

Penalty Changes on the Horizon

The action follows a penalty imposed on fellow bookmaker Dabble last week over separate BetStop breaches. The ACMA has noted that the penalty changes that will take effect as of January 1, 2027, will significantly boost the penalties for non-compliance with the scheme’s requirements.

It can be argued that the upcoming boost in the penalties is an indication of the strictening enforcement of the scheme’s rules in relation to self-exclusion. Operators will suffer significant financial consequences if they do not fulfill their obligation in relation to BetStop.

For Palmerbet, the undertaking represents a formal commitment to improve its compliance framework. The independent review will evaluate the procedures followed by the bookmaker and make suggestions to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Self-exclusion compliance is a key area of interest for the regulator due to the need to protect consumers in the gambling industry. As the 2027 penalty changes approach, operators are expected to place greater emphasis on ensuring their systems can effectively identify and act on BetStop registrations.

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Source: Asia Gaming Brief