The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has targeted TAB over what the regulator deemed to be irregular marketing practices, which saw messages sent to 351 VIP customers, who were also on the Do Not Call Register in Australia.
ACMA Hits TAB With Another Fine Over Marketing Communications
The findings have resulted in a consecutive enforcement action to the tune of $1.9 million (AUD 2.7 million).
The register serves to exclude players from gambling marketing and other promotional materials, with 82 calls made outside of permitted hours and another 4,000 calls placed with TAB failing to properly identify itself as the caller.
These breaches occurred between February 2024 and June 2025, the regulator noted in an official statement detailing the case, and in 2025, TAB confirmed that it had sent 217,000 marketing SMS messages and emails in the span of only 16 days to people who had self-excluded from marketing channels.
The issue was flagged by the TAB staff after it was detected internally, leading to an immediate follow-up action.
“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,” ACMA member Samantha Yorke commented on the case.
TAB has acknowledged the breaches and has responded that it is cooperating fully with the regulator and is accepting of the enforcement action against it. Tabcorp has provided full assistance to ACMA to help it piece together the breaches and identify them, the company confirmed.
Not the First Time Either
This is not the only issue Tabcorp has faced recently, with the company also targeted by Austrac, the country’s financial watchdog, over anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism funding.
This is not the first time Tabcorp has been fined by ACMA, with the regulator previously slapping the company with a $2.6 million (AUD 4 million) fine over the sending of 5,700 marketing messages that once again breached the operator’s obligations towards customers.