Australia’s gambling operator TAB has once again been penalized by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), facing a $1.9 million fine for repeated marketing breaches.
Key Takeaways
* ACMA has issued a $1.9 million penalty to TAB for sending marketing communications to customers on the Do Not Call Register and those who had self-excluded.
* This marks a consecutive enforcement action against TAB, following a similar significant fine from ACMA in 2025 for comparable violations.
* The breaches, which included thousands of improper calls and emails, highlight ongoing challenges within the gambling industry regarding responsible marketing practices and consumer protection.
ACMA Imposes New Penalty on TAB for Marketing Violations
TAB, a prominent name in the Australian betting landscape, has incurred a $1.9 million (AUD 2.7 million) penalty from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The regulator cited irregular marketing practices, specifically the dispatch of promotional messages to 351 VIP customers who were registered on Australia’s Do Not Call Register.
This enforcement action, announced on July 22, 2026, represents a consecutive penalty for TAB, coming approximately a year after a similar regulatory intervention. The Do Not Call Register is designed to protect individuals from unsolicited marketing, particularly crucial in sectors like gambling where financial and psychological risks are elevated.
Details of the Breaches
The investigation revealed multiple instances of non-compliance by TAB. Beyond the 351 VIP customers, ACMA identified 82 calls made outside of permitted hours. Additionally, approximately 4,000 calls were placed without TAB properly identifying itself as the caller, a basic requirement for transparent communication.
These specific breaches occurred between February 2024 and June 2025. Furthermore, in 2025, TAB itself confirmed an internal detection of sending 217,000 marketing SMS messages and emails over a 16-day period to individuals who had actively self-excluded from receiving such communications. This internal flagging by TAB staff led to immediate follow-up actions.
ACMA member Samantha Yorke commented on the case, stating, “When people join the Do Not Call Register or unsubscribe from marketing messages, they are making a clear choice. Those choices must be respected – especially given the heightened risks of financial loss and psychological harm from gambling marketing.”
TAB has acknowledged the breaches and has indicated full cooperation with the regulator, accepting the enforcement action. Tabcorp, TAB’s parent company, confirmed it provided assistance to ACMA in identifying and piecing together the details of the violations.
A Pattern of Regulatory Scrutiny
This is not the first instance of Tabcorp facing significant regulatory scrutiny. In 2025, ACMA previously issued a $2.6 million (AUD 4 million) fine to the company for sending around 5,700 marketing messages that violated its obligations to customers who had opted out of promotional materials.
Beyond ACMA, Tabcorp has also been under the microscope of Austrac, Australia’s financial intelligence agency. Austrac has targeted the company concerning its adherence to anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism funding (CTF) regulations. Such repeated regulatory actions underscore the ongoing challenges and responsibilities faced by large operators within the gambling industry to maintain compliance and uphold consumer protection standards.
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