Publication Date: May 11, 2026, 08:20h. 

Updated on: May 11, 2026, 08:20h.

• Entain has circumvented regulatory penalties in Australia for allegedly breaching the BetStop scheme
• The Australian authorities claim Ladbrokes and Neds enabled self-excluded gamblers to place bets

Entain, along with its major sportsbooks in Australia, Ladbrokes and Neds, reportedly violated regulations aimed at curbing problem gambling on over 500 occasions. This information comes from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), following an extensive investigation spanning multiple years.

According to the ACMA, both Ladbrokes and Neds neglected to safeguard consumers who opted for self-exclusion in Australia’s regulated sports betting sector. The Entain platforms permitted excluded users to create wagering accounts despite their registration with BetStop, the national self-exclusion registry in Australia.

“When an individual registers with BetStop, wagering firms are required to close all accounts associated with that person within their services. In this instance, Entain’s systems failed to accurately identify and connect all wagering accounts belonging to those customers across its platforms, including one account that remained accessible for more than a year after the customer self-excluded,” stated ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood.

Entain is recognized as one of the largest gaming companies globally, boasting a market cap of $4.6 billion. In addition to Ladbrokes and Neds, it owns Coral, Eurobet, SuperSport, and Sportingbet, and holds a 50% share in BetMGM’s operations in North America.

Entain Avoids Fines and Consequences

The ACMA’s regulations indicate that licensed gambling firms found in violation of the BetStop program face maximum fines of up to A$59,400 (approximately US$43,020) for each infringement. Given that Entain reported over 500 violations, the company could have potentially faced civil penalties exceeding A$29.7 million.

However, the ACMA pointed out that the statute of limitations had lapsed by the time the agency completed its investigation. The rules necessitate that the ACMA must impose penalties on a noncompliant bookmaker within 12 months of the alleged infraction. This investigation of Entain’s actions took over a year.

“Despite the complexities of this investigation extending beyond our preferred timeline and the absence of financial penalties, the enforceable undertaking we arrived at is a significant regulatory outcome,” the ACMA remarked. “Should Entain fail to adhere to this undertaking, we can pursue court-mandated financial penalties.”

“The ACMA opted not to issue an infringement notice to Entain since that enforcement route was not applicable in this scenario,” the ACMA further noted. “Nonetheless, noncompliance with an enforceable undertaking could result in court-imposed financial penalties.”

Gambling Issues in Australia

Australia has earned a reputation for having the highest gambling expenditure per capita globally. However, the government has been actively working to mitigate the social repercussions of gambling in recent years.

So far, BetStop indicates that nearly 60,000 Australians have registered for the initiative. Self-exclusion periods can vary from a minimum of three months to a permanent ban.