Australia's largest online bookmaker, Sportsbet, has come under fire for offering customers a guaranteed share of $1 million in bonus bets if they gambled on the morning of the AFL grand final. The offer was made via text messages sent to a Victorian man, who declined to be named, as part of a series of inducements during the finals series.
The offer required the man to copy one of Sportsbet's suggested same-game multi bets, which involve betting on multiple outcomes within a game. Analysis has shown that such bets have a high failure rate for gamblers, and leaked documents indicate the AFL receives a higher percentage of each bet placed on these products.
The text messages included phrases like 'TIME IS RUNNING OUT' and offered increasingly generous deposit matches, culminating in a 600% deposit match of up to $300 in bonus bets. On grand final day, the man received a message promising a guaranteed share of $1 million in bonus bets if he copied a same-game multi from Sportsbet's 'Feed' portal.
Independent MP Kate Chaney criticised the use of inducements, stating they 'encourage higher bets and more risk taking' and are linked to increased gambling harm. Senator David Pocock noted that research shows risky gambling levels are at unprecedented highs, and called on the government to act on the 2021 bipartisan parliamentary inquiry's recommendation to ban all online gambling inducements.
A Sportsbet spokesperson said the company takes its responsibility to promote safer gambling seriously, adding that its communications include safer gambling messages and comply with legal requirements. The Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission, which licenses Sportsbet, declined to comment, while the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission said it needed more information to determine if the texts breached state regulations.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform has launched a campaign to ban wagering ads before next year's grand finals, with chief executive Martin Thomas warning that children would see 'more gambling ads than goals' over the weekend.
