BlueBet has been found guilty of 43 charges of displaying gambling advertising on or above a public road and fined AU$50,000.
The company will also have to pay the agreed costs of The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission whose investigation in August 2023 lead to it being charged.
BlueBet’s gambling advertising appeared on digital billboards in several locations during a two-week period in August and September 2023.
Magistrate Greg Thomas said that he found it difficult to accept BlueBet’s defence that they didn’t know they were breaching the law, given the prime position of the billboards to target males aged 15-54 years old. Magistrate Thomas did not record a conviction but said if the breaches were accidental, this demonstrated “a high degree of negligence” by BlueBet.
VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said of the verdict: “Gambling advertising has no place on public roads where it is readily visible to children and other vulnerable groups. These places are especially difficult to avoid as part of day-to-day activities. This decision sends a clear message to wagering providers that flout these protections for our community.”
