ACMA Fines Tabcorp $158,400 Over In-Play Breach

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a $158,400 penalty to Tabcorp Holdings Limited, according to its investigation report, after the operator accepted 426 illegal online in-play bets across 32 tennis matches between February 2024 and June 2025.

Online in-play wagering is prohibited under Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which bars bets placed after an event has commenced unless taken via telephone. The bets were subsequently voided and refunded.

Third Breach Since 2021

This marks Tabcorp’s third breach of in-play betting rules since 2021, reinforcing regulatory concerns around recurring compliance controls.

ACMA stated the violations stemmed from system and communication failures involving a third-party provider responsible for closing betting markets. However, the regulator emphasised that outsourcing does not dilute statutory responsibility.

The breach continued for more than a year before remediation, a duration ACMA identified as a key concern.

Enforceable Undertaking Signals Heightened Oversight

Beyond the financial penalty, Tabcorp has entered into a formal enforceable undertaking requiring a comprehensive review of its tennis market closure systems, along with ongoing reporting obligations to ACMA.

Such undertakings typically function as structured compliance remediation programmes and signal heightened regulatory scrutiny. ACMA has indicated that further non-compliance may trigger Federal Court proceedings.

Financially Minor, Regulatorily Material

While the $158,400 penalty is immaterial relative to Tabcorp’s wagering revenues, the pattern of repeated in-play breaches carries greater strategic weight.

For operators, the case underscores three sector-wide realities:

• Third-party risk remains a primary enforcement vulnerability. Market-closing automation and trading integrations must be continuously audited.
• Detection latency is itself a compliance risk. Extended breach windows increase regulator tolerance thresholds.
• Repeat violations invite escalation. ACMA has shown growing willingness to use enforceable undertakings as precursors to court action.

As Australia maintains one of the strictest global prohibitions on online in-play betting, enforcement attention is likely to remain focused on system integrity and governance controls rather than isolated transactional breaches.

For the wider wagering sector, the message is clear: compliance architecture not penalty size is now the primary regulatory battleground.

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