$100,000 fine upheld for OkeBet in Australia

• The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission’s September 2024 enforcement action against OkeBet has been upheld by VCAT.
• OkeBet was fined for marketing to self-excluded customers and promoting at community sporting clubs.
• The regulator found that some self-excluded individuals who received marketing materials from OkeBet suffered harm.

Australian bookmaker OkeBet has had a AU$100,000 fine issued by Victoria’s gambling regulator upheld following an appeal, with authorities citing failures to prevent self-excluded customers from receiving marketing and breaches involving community sporting clubs.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission’s (VGCCC) September 2024 enforcement action was ratified by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) despite an appeal by the operator.

Self-exclusion and marketing failures

The VGCCC said VCAT, in its assessment of the case, found that some self-excluded individuals who received marketing materials from OkeBet “suffered harm”.

The operator was also fined for promoting its services at local sporting clubs. Suzy Neilan, VGCCC CEO, wrote today in the official communication on this case:

“We took disciplinary action in September 2024 because we were concerned that OkeBet were taking advantage of community sporting clubs and exposing their supporters to gambling harm. We were also concerned that self-excluded people were still receiving promotional gambling offers from OkeBet,” Neilan wrote.

Harm minimisation failures

Neilan emphasised the importance of respecting self-exclusion decisions:

“Furthermore, self-exclusion is a critical harm-minimisation safeguard. It is a clear signal from an individual that they do not wish to gamble or to be exposed to further gambling marketing. That signal must be respected.”

The penalty confirms Victoria’s strict enforcement of responsible gambling obligations under the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 (Vic), particularly regarding self-exclusion programmes designed to protect problem gamblers.

Licensed operators must maintain effective systems to prevent self-excluded individuals from accessing gambling services and marketing communications.

Victorian regulatory environment

The decision forms part of broader Victorian enforcement activity targeting gambling operators with inadequate player protection measures. The VGCCC has imposed multiple sanctions on operators in recent years for responsible gambling failures, according to the VGCCC enforcement actions page.

In October 2024, the VGCCC fined Crown Melbourne AU$2 million for allowing 242 self-excluded individuals to gamble at the casino between October 2023 and May 2024. The regulator determined the breaches resulted from system and control failures.

More recently, in July 2025, the VGCCC fined Werribee RSL AU$30,000 for failing to prevent two self-excluded customers from gambling, marking the first time the regulator took disciplinary action against a club or hotel for self-exclusion breaches.

Self-exclusion requirements

Victoria’s gambling legislation requires operators to provide clear self-exclusion processes for customers to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling services. Operators must enforce exclusions and prevent excluded individuals from receiving promotional marketing materials.

The BetStop national self-exclusion register, managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, allows individuals to exclude themselves from all licensed online wagering services across Australia. However, individual operators must maintain their own systems to ensure excluded customers do not receive marketing or access services.

Self-exclusion programmes have emerged as a focal point for Australian regulators, with varying approaches to implementation and enforcement across jurisdictions. Victoria’s regulatory framework emphasises operator responsibility for maintaining effective identity verification procedures, database cross-checking, and staff training on exclusion protocols.

Industry-wide implications

The confirmed sanction against OkeBet carries both financial and reputational consequences for the operator in an increasingly competitive Australian online betting market. Beyond the AU$100,000 penalty, with a penalty hearing pending, the decision may trigger enhanced regulatory scrutiny of OkeBet’s Australian operations.

The VGCCC typically requires operators with compliance failures to demonstrate corrective actions and may impose enhanced reporting obligations or independent audits. Industry standards for self-exclusion compliance include multi-factor identity verification, automated database screening, document verification, and regular system audits.

OkeBet has not publicly commented on specific remediation measures implemented following the regulator’s findings. The operator describes itself as a family-owned, Australian-operated bookmaker focused on racing and sports betting.

Appeals process

VCAT provides an avenue for reviewing VGCCC decisions, with operators able to appeal within 28 days of the original determination. OkeBet’s unsuccessful appeal confirms the tribunal’s agreement with the VGCCC’s findings.

The Victorian gambling regulatory framework continues to evolve, with state and federal governments considering additional consumer protection measures.

The OkeBet penalty demonstrates Australian regulators’ willingness to impose substantial financial sanctions for protection failures, signalling clear expectations for licensed operators regarding compliance standards and system effectiveness.