Bookie warned over BetStop breach as self-exclusion numbers grow
With active self-exclusion numbers nearing 40,000 in Australia, Chasebet has become the latest bookmaker in the crosshairs of the Australian Communications and Media Authority over failure to promote BetStop.
A small Australian bookie has earned the ire of the federal regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, for failing to adequately promote BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, which has attracted nearly 60,000 sign-ups since launch in 2023.
Harris Bookmaking Pty Ltd, trading as Chasebet and licensed in New South Wales, was issued with a formal warning for failing to promote BetStop in three marketing emails and on its website.
“Under gambling self-exclusion rules, wagering providers must promote and provide links to BetStop in all promotional electronic messages and websites,” ACMA said.
“After the ACMA alerted Chasebet to its non-compliance, the company acted promptly to rectify the issue and sufficiently promote BetStop on its website and in marketing emails.
“Chasebet advised that the issue occurred as a result of a software consolidation error and was unintended.”
ACMA warned it would take further enforcement action should Chasebet, run by bookmaker Damian Harris, breach the rules again.
The latest announcement comes after ACMA investigations found Tabcorp, LightningBet, Betfocus, TempleBet, Picklebet and BetChamps all failed to comply with rules that protect people who registered with BetStop in January.
Tabcorp was fined $112,680 for its breaches.
Latest statistics on BetStop, which launched in August 2023, show 59,830 people had registered to self-exclude from all licensed online and phone wagering providers in Australia.
Of those, 37,247 people had active exclusions as of the end of March, while 38 per cent had opted for lifetime exclusion.
ACMA stats show 45 per cent of registrants were 30 and under, while 32 per cent were aged 31 to 40.
New South Wales had the most registrations with 18,601, followed by Victoria with 16,063 and Queensland with 12,310.
Just under 5000 people had registered with BetStop in the first three months of 2026.
A total of 14,989 people have registered with the self-exclusion program so far in 2025/26, compared to 18.869 across 2024/25 and 25,972 in 2023/24.
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