PointsBet has called on the Australian government to restrict payment channels to illegal offshore bookmakers and enforce faster removal of unlicensed gambling ads, citing enforcement models used in Canada and New Zealand.
Group CEO Andrew Catterall outlined the proposals at the company’s annual general meeting, identifying several areas where government intervention could reduce the flow of Australian bettors to unregulated operators.
Catterall said payments providers and banks should be examined as a way to prevent Australians from transferring funds to illegal operators.
He pointed to Canada, where data providers are restricted from servicing black-market operators, as a possible model for Australia, and cited New Zealand’s efforts to channel punters toward licensed wagering providers.
Catterall also called for tougher restrictions on Australian-based influencers who receive commissions from offshore operators for promoting their services.
“That needs to be shut down. There’s a raft of things to get at there, and we really need a concerted effort to get at it,” he said.
Digital platforms told to speed up ad removal
Catterall pressed for faster removal of illegal gambling advertising from digital platforms. “Real-time takedown is important, and this is on online digital platforms,” he said.
He acknowledged that offshore operators were sophisticated and could “phoenix their brands” or conceal them behind other advertising accounts, but said illegal gambling promotions remained readily visible across social media.
Catterall estimated the offshore market represented about 30% of the licensed domestic wagering market and was growing at a considerably faster rate than the regulated offering.
He said PointsBet’s taxation and product-fee burden was now equivalent to about 50% of its revenue, a financial gap that offshore operators avoid by operating outside Australia’s tax and regulatory framework.
Advertising reform package adds uncertainty for licensed operators
Catterall’s proposals came as PointsBet continues to assess the federal government’s gambling advertising reform package, which has passed through parliament. The company said it is still waiting for precise definitions and guidance from relevant agencies on how the new framework will operate.
“What’s clear at this point, though, is that the operating model for licensed Australian wagering operators post-reform will get even more complicated and more expensive,” said Catterall, who took over as Group CEO earlier this year.
He cautioned that the additional regulatory burden could create an unintended advantage for offshore bookmakers.
“No one involved in the gambling advertising reform debate should want this to afford even more advantage to the illegal offshore operators who currently don’t follow any of the rules, don’t pay any Australian tax, don’t answer to any Australian authorities, and represent a very real and growing risk to the protection of Australian consumers,” he said.
Catterall said PointsBet had supported “pragmatic reform” for three years but was reserving judgement until the detail of the package became clearer.
“We are now keen to see it done well,” he said. He urged the government to ensure regulators were given sufficient resources and powers to tackle the offshore market as the advertising reforms move into their implementation phase.
Ahead of the reforms, PointsBet had already reduced its own gambling advertising exposure, ending sponsorship agreements with NRL clubs Manly and Cronulla in 2025 and cutting its free-to-air television expenditure.
VIP controls and board matters also addressed
Shareholders separately questioned PointsBet executives about inducements and the conduct of VIP account managers, following evidence presented to a recent Senate inquiry into gambling.
Catterall said some of the behavior described during the inquiry had “no place in this industry” and outlined changes made to the company’s VIP operations, including tracking of account manager expenditure through financial systems and recorded customer calls.
Chairman Brett Paton said the board had continued to monitor the company’s controls, with technology playing a role in identifying unusual account activity related to anti-money laundering and responsible gambling.
He said PointsBet’s Japanese-listed parent, MIXI, had brought additional governance oversight.
The AGM also approved the re-election of former Group CEO Sam Swanell as a director for a further three-year term. Swanell will continue working as a consultant to the business alongside his board role.