Last week, we reported that William Hill and Ladbrokes were in hot water with Australian regulators after it was discovered that they allow players to place in-play wagers over the internet. Now, another bookmaker has been exposed, as Bet365 has been accused of doing the exact same thing. Australian gambling rules prohibit punters from placing in-play wagers (bets that are placed on a sporting event while it is currently taking place) online.

They are only allowed to make these types of live bets over the phone or in person. However, several bookmakers have discovered a loophole that allows them to offer in-play betting online without actually violating gaming regulations.

Click-to-call is a service offered by international bookmakers like Ladbrokes, William Hill and Bet365 that allows players to contact customer service representatives over the internet via their computers’ microphones. While they are using the internet to play live wagers, they are still speaking ‘over the phone’. This allows them to circumvent the law prohibiting live in-play betting.

Some bookmakers are concerned about this service, as it allows international gaming operators to offer a service that is not available from locally-based betting operators. As such, they are losing a significant portion of the local market share to companies that have only recently entered the Australian gambling market from overseas.

“If these UK operators were good corporate citizens they’d turn the service off and stop ­diverting the resources of the Australian Federal Police, who have more important things to worry about, such as security,” a gambling industry source told The Australian. Australian Communications and Media Authority and members of the Australian gambling industry have called on federal authorities to investigate this live-betting practice.

It seems that there is a need for stricter enforcement of this gambling law in order to ensure an even playing field for both local and international betting operators across the country.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.