Sports betting site BetDeluxe has been slapped with a spam advertising fine for encouraging people to have a "cheeky punt".
Owner Noah Rose paid the $50,172 fine after admitting his company sent more than 800,000 texts that didn't contain the sender's contact details, and another 100,000 that didn't have an unsubscribe notice.
The communications watchdog says it's the latest penalty from a crackdown on spam advertising, having hit Sportsbet with a record $2.5 million fine last year for bulk messaging customers who had already tried to unsubscribe.
BetDeluxe's text, sent between December 2021 and February 2022, encouraged customers to have a "cheeky punt" at their "VIP service" for racing and sports, also promoting bonus bets and cash-back offers.
They've accepted a two-year court undertaking to review their marketing practices and must give compliance reports to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
"We received complaints from a significant number of people, with many expressing their frustration about receiving promotions for gambling," ACMA chair Nerida O'Loughlin said in a statement.
"Any spam can be annoying, but when gambling is involved the risk of financial and emotional harm can be pronounced, so it's important that wagering operators take compliance very seriously."
BetDeluxe, run by former on-track bookmaker Rose, started operating in 2020.
Ms O'Loughlin said ACMA would be closely monitoring how it complies with spam laws moving forward.
"The online gambling industry, including the smaller players, should be on notice that the ACMA is actively monitoring for indications of non-compliance with the spam rules, and the penalties can be serious," she said.
