Dabble Sports paid A$1,069,200 after ACMA found that self-excluded customers’ accounts remained open and hundreds of marketing messages were sent.
Dabble Sports Pty Ltd has paid A$1,069,200 in penalties after an Australian Communications and Media Authority investigation found multiple breaches of the national online gambling self-exclusion rules.
According to the regulator’s 16 September 2026 enforcement announcement, Dabble failed to close 157 wagering accounts after their holders registered with BetStop. The company also agreed to a two-year court-enforceable undertaking covering changes to its compliance systems.
ACMA found accounts stayed open and marketing continued
BetStop is Australia’s national self-exclusion register for licensed online and telephone wagering. Once a person registers, wagering providers must close the relevant accounts as soon as practicable and stop sending that person electronic gambling marketing.
ACMA found that Dabble sent 839 SMS, email and app-push messages to 165 self-excluded people. The regulator also identified a separate notification problem: 45 customers received more than 2,000 push notifications that did not contain the required information about BetStop.
The two figures describe different compliance failures. The first concerns marketing sent to people who had registered for self-exclusion. The second concerns mandatory BetStop information missing from notifications sent to another customer group.
Under the enforceable undertaking, Dabble must commission an independent review of its compliance arrangements and invest in the changes recommended by that review. An enforceable undertaking is more than a voluntary promise: ACMA can seek court enforcement if its terms are breached.
The regulator also noted that reforms starting on 1 January 2027 will increase the penalties available for breaches of the BetStop rules. The changes form part of the wider 2026 amendments to Australia’s interactive gambling framework.
Self-exclusion should stop access and promotion together
The case highlights two different protections that need to work at the same time. Closing an account prevents further betting through that provider. Ending promotional messages reduces the chance that a person who has chosen to stop receives inducements to return.
Players should not have to contact every licensed wagering operator individually after registering. BetStop is designed to apply across Australian-licensed online and phone wagering services from a single registration.
This national system is separate from venue-based exclusion arrangements used for clubs, pubs and casinos. It also does not make prohibited offshore casino sites part of the Australian licensing system.
What it means for players
After registering with BetStop, keep the confirmation and note any provider that still permits login, betting or deposits. Save unwanted emails, SMS messages and push notifications with their dates. That evidence can help ACMA assess whether the provider met its obligations.
Our responsible gambling guide explains account limits, cooling-off tools and self-exclusion, while the player disputes page lists practical steps for preserving records and escalating a complaint.
The size of the penalty is significant, but the practical point is simpler: self-exclusion is supposed to change both account access and marketing. If either continues, the player should document it rather than treating it as a normal delay.
