Australian regulator discovers Entain brands violated self-exclusion rules 500 times

(AsiaGameHub) –   Entain’s Australian brands Ladbrokes AU and Neds AU are facing regulatory trouble after an Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation uncovered more than 500 violations of national self-exclusion rules.

The UK-headquartered gambling firm has now entered into a court-enforceable undertaking, after ACMA found its brands opened new betting accounts for people already registered with Australia’s national self-exclusion register BetStop.

The company was also found to have failed to close existing wagering accounts for customers who had opted for self-exclusion.

“When someone signs up to BetStop, all wagering companies are required to close every account that person holds across their services,” said ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood.

“In this case, Entain’s internal systems did not properly identify and link all wagering accounts belonging to these customers across its platforms, including one account that stayed open for more than a year after the customer completed self-exclusion.

“Once people register for self-exclusion, there should be no possible way for them to open new accounts for any licensed wagering service operating in Australia.”

Not Entain’s first brush with legal trouble

This is far from the first time Entain has run into legal issues tied to customer protection and gambling compliance in Australia.

Back in November 2025, the Federal Court of Australia scheduled a 30 November 2026 hearing date for the lawsuit against Entain brought by Australian financial watchdog AUSTRAC.

The lawsuit alleges AML (anti-money laundering) and compliance failures at Neds, Bookmaker.com.au and Ladbrokes AU. AUSTRAC claims the group’s brands operated with insufficient customer verification, inadequate source-of-funds checks, and allowed cash-deposit and third-party transaction channels that left its wagering network exposed to the risk of criminal exploitation.

On top of Australian issues, the company faces additional problems in its home market of the UK, including tax increases, retail betting shop closures and a steadily tumbling share price on the London Stock Exchange over the last 12 months, and it continues to find itself wrapped up in legal disputes globally.

In late March of this year, Entain was fined DKK 500,000 (£57,000) for running a ‘Risk-Free Gambling’ marketing campaign through its bwin brand in Denmark.

The company has made public, intentional efforts to uphold strong player protection standards, and Chief Executive Officer Stella David is one of the most outspoken advocates for banning unlicensed brands from sponsoring English sports.

Despite these efforts and public commitments, the firm remains just as liable for compliance violations as any other operator, and Australia has become a consistent hotspot of regulatory trouble for the company.

In relation to this newest case, ACMA’s investigation also found Entain failed to properly promote BetStop in customer text messages and emails, as required by national rules.

ACMA has secured an 18-month, court-enforceable undertaking from Entain to resolve the case.

Under the terms of this agreement, the company will commission an independent review of its compliance systems and processes, and implement any recommended changes.

ACMA did not issue an infringement notice in this case, as that option was not available under current rules. However, if Entain fails to meet the terms of the undertaking, it could face court-ordered financial penalties.

In response to the court-enforceable undertaking, a spokesperson for Entain Australia said: “We take all our regulatory responsibilities seriously. These matters arose during the early rollout of a new national system, and we have worked constructively with ACMA to implement meaningful upgrades to our processes and controls.

“Our focus is on getting this right for our customers, particularly those who choose to self-exclude, and on building long-term trust through a strong, compliance-led culture.”

The spokesperson also highlighted that ACMA accepted an enforceable undertaking, rather than issuing a fine as it has done with other operators in the past, such as Betfair, PointsBet and, most recently, Tabcorp.

They also confirmed that the issues are tied to the initial launch of BetStop, noting that errors are common during the early stages of any new national system, and Entain says it has already delivered significant improvements, including stronger customer matching, better account linking and ongoing system upgrades.

Entain said it has engaged “constructively with the ACMA throughout, providing detailed submissions and working in good faith to address issues”.