Tabcorp fined $158,400 for illegal in-play tennis bets in third breach since 2021

• Tabcorp Holdings Limited has paid AU$158,400 after accepting 426 illegal in-play sports bets across 32 tennis matches between February 2024 and June 2025.
• ACMA confirmed this is the third time Tabcorp has breached online in-play betting rules since 2021.
• In addition to the financial penalty, Tabcorp has entered a comprehensive enforceable undertaking requiring systems reviews and regular reporting to the regulator.

Tabcorp Holdings Limited has paid a AU$158,400 penalty after Australia’s communications regulator found the wagering operator illegally accepted hundreds of in-play sports bets over a 16-month period.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) confirmed the penalty this week, marking the company’s third breach of online in-play betting rules since 2021.

Repeated violations raise compliance questions

An ACMA investigation found Tabcorp accepted 426 in-play bets across 32 tennis matches between February 2024 and June 2025. Online in-play betting, definied ad wagers placed on a sporting event after it has already started, is prohibited in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).

Tabcorp attributed the breaches to systems and communication failures with its third-party provider. All 426 bets were voided and customer stakes refunded. The ACMA accepted this explanation. Despite this, the regulator proceeded with the financial penalty.

The penalty follows a pattern of repeated non-compliance. In November 2021, ACMA issued Tabcorp a formal warning after it accepted 37 illegal in-play bets on a US college basketball game. That was the first time ACMA had taken action against any operator for an in-play betting breach.

In November 2024, Tabcorp was fined AU$262,920 after accepting 854 in-play bets on 69 tennis matches between April and October 2023. The latest penalty makes this the third confirmed breach in under four years.

Cannot outsource legal responsibilities

ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood issued a pointed statement, stressing the limits of third-party reliance as a legal defence.

“The law is clear and wagering services must have processes in place to prevent illegal in-play bets from being accepted,” said Lidgerwood, ACMA member.

“While we understand that most wagering operators rely on third-party providers to close betting on sporting events, they cannot outsource their legal responsibilities.

“The length of time it took Tabcorp to identify and then fix the problem was concerning and we expect Tabcorp to do better in the future,” Lidgerwood added.

The regulator’s emphasis on the response timeline is notable. In the 2024 breach, ACMA similarly flagged that Tabcorp took roughly six months to identify and fix the technical error. The recurrence suggests the problem is systemic rather than isolated.

Enforceable undertaking adds structured oversight

Beyond the financial penalty, Tabcorp has entered into a comprehensive enforceable undertaking with the ACMA. This requires the company to conduct a formal review of its systems and processes related to the closing of betting on tennis matches. Tabcorp must also report regularly to the regulator on its progress.

Should Tabcorp fail to comply with either the undertaking or the IGA in future, the ACMA may pursue proceedings through the Federal Court. That pathway would expose the operator to potentially greater financial and reputational consequences than the current penalty.

The latest enforcement action adds to a growing list of regulatory interventions against Tabcorp.

In January 2026, ACMA penalised the operator AU$112,680 for failing to prevent self-excluded customers from accessing its platform via the national BetStop register. In June 2025, the company was ordered to pay AU$4 million for sending over 5,700 unlawful marketing messages to VIP customers, breaching Australia’s Spam Act 2003.

Third-party risk emerges

The in-play betting issue highlights a broader compliance challenge for the Australian wagering sector. Many operators rely on external data providers to trigger the closing of betting markets when a sporting event begins. Where these systems malfunction or communicate incorrectly, illegal bets can be accepted before operators become aware.

The ACMA’s position is unambiguous: operators bear full legal responsibility, regardless of which party caused the technical failure.

This stance places significant pressure on wagering companies to build robust internal controls, real-time monitoring systems, and faster detection mechanisms — rather than depending on third-party processes alone.

With Federal Court proceedings now a stated possibility and the ACMA visibly escalating its enforcement posture, Tabcorp faces mounting pressure to demonstrate a genuine operational overhaul.