Dabble Pays A$1.07 Million Over Self-Exclusion Failures
Australia.- 17 September 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Dabble Sports Pty Ltd has paid A$1,069,200 in penalties after the Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, found multiple breaches of the country’s national gambling self-exclusion rules.
The investigation concluded that Dabble failed to close accounts belonging to people registered with BetStop and continued sending communications to customers who had chosen to exclude themselves from online wagering.
157 Accounts Not Closed Promptly
One of the most significant breaches involved 157 wagering accounts.
The customers had registered with BetStop, Australia’s National Self-Exclusion Register, but Dabble did not close the accounts as soon as practicable.
Licensed wagering providers are required to act promptly once a customer is identified through the register.
BetStop Operates Nationwide
BetStop enables a person to exclude themselves from all licensed Australian online and telephone wagering providers through a single registration.
Once an exclusion is active, operators must not:
- Allow the individual to place bets.
- Open new accounts for them.
- Leave existing accounts active.
- Send gambling marketing.
The scheme launched in August 2023.
839 Messages Sent to Self-Excluded Customers
ACMA also found that Dabble sent 839 electronic messages to 165 self-excluded people.
Those communications included:
- SMS.
- Emails.
- App push notifications.
Marketing to a person registered with BetStop is prohibited.
More Than 2,000 Push Notifications Missing BetStop Information
The investigation uncovered a separate compliance issue concerning promotion of the self-exclusion register itself.
Dabble sent more than 2,000 push notifications to 45 customers without the required information about BetStop.
Australian rules require wagering providers to properly promote the national self-exclusion service in relevant electronic promotional communications.
ACMA Calls Breaches Serious
ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood described the findings as deeply concerning.
The regulator emphasised that customers registering with BetStop have made an explicit decision to remove themselves from online wagering and providers must respect that decision by closing accounts and stopping promotional contact.
Robust Systems Required
For ACMA, the case highlights the importance of effective compliance systems.
A national register alone is not sufficient.
Each wagering provider needs processes capable of correctly identifying the customer, linking all relevant accounts and applying restrictions without delay.
Two-Year Court-Enforceable Undertaking
In addition to the financial penalty, Dabble has entered into a two-year court-enforceable undertaking with ACMA.
The agreement requires the operator to review and strengthen its systems for complying with self-exclusion rules.
Independent Review
Dabble must commission an independent assessment of its compliance systems and procedures.
The company will then be required to implement recommended improvements and make the investment needed to address identified weaknesses.
Potential Court Action
The undertaking is legally enforceable.
If Dabble fails to meet its commitments, ACMA can apply to the courts to enforce the terms.
More Than 65,000 BetStop Registrations
By the end of the 2025-26 financial year, 65,430 people had registered with BetStop since launch.
As of 30 June 2026, approximately 40,160 exclusions remained active.
The scale of the register makes operator systems an increasingly important element of Australia’s consumer-protection framework.
Increasing Enforcement
The Dabble penalty is not an isolated enforcement case.
Throughout 2026, ACMA has investigated several wagering providers for issues involving account closure, new accounts being opened for excluded customers and prohibited marketing.
The regulator is increasingly examining whether BetStop works effectively in practice.
Recent Industry Cases
Operators investigated in recent enforcement actions include brands such as Ladbrokes, Neds, Betplay, Chasebet and other licensed providers.
Depending on the circumstances, ACMA has used formal warnings, enforceable undertakings and financial penalties.
Stronger Laws From 2027
Australia’s framework will become tougher from 1 January 2027.
New legislation will substantially increase the penalties available for breaches of BetStop requirements.
The change gives wagering providers an additional incentive to review compliance systems before the new rules take effect.
Technology and Customer Identification
One of the major operational challenges is ensuring that every account associated with a self-excluded customer is correctly identified.
That requires systems capable of connecting:
- Personal information.
- Multiple accounts.
- Email addresses.
- Phone numbers.
- Devices.
- Activity history.
Failures in identity matching can create regulatory breaches even where the customer is ultimately prevented from wagering.
Industry Context
Australia operates one of the world’s most developed regulated wagering markets while continuing to tighten consumer-protection standards.
BetStop has become a central part of that strategy.
Regulatory attention is now moving beyond registration itself towards whether operators can enforce exclusions consistently across every relevant system.
Next Steps and Impact
Dabble will spend the next two years operating under the court-enforceable undertaking and must subject its compliance systems to independent review.
The A$1.069 million penalty also sends a broader message to the Australian wagering sector about the consequences of failing to implement BetStop correctly.
With stronger penalties taking effect in 2027, operators will face increasing pressure to automate account closures, stop marketing immediately and ensure that a customer’s self-exclusion decision is applied consistently across the entire organisation.
Editó: @fonta
