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Palmerbet BetStop Checks Missed Self Excluded Customer for Nearly 18 Months

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Altay Celikkaya

Content Manager

Updated: 23/09/26

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Palmerbet’s checks against Australia’s BetStop register failed to identify a self-excluded customer for nearly 18 months because the operator held an incorrect date of birth and a shortened first name in its records. According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s investigation report, the customer registered with BetStop in September 2023, but their Palmerbet wagering account remained open until February 2025. The operator later accepted 312 bets from the customer between December 2024 and February 2025.

Palmerbet, BetStop and ACMA logos with an Australian flag and text highlighting regulatory action over 312 bets linked to self exclusion failures.

Regulation & Compliance

Key Takeaways From ACMA’s Palmerbet BetStop Investigation

Palmerbet regularly checked the customer against BetStop but the information submitted did not produce a positive match.
ACMA found that Palmerbet used an incorrect date of birth and a shortened version of the customer’s first name.
The customer registered with BetStop on 2 September 2023 but their Palmerbet account remained open until February 2025.
Palmerbet accepted 312 bets from the self-excluded customer across 18 separate days between December and February.
ACMA accepted an 18-month court-enforceable undertaking requiring an independent review of Palmerbet’s compliance systems.
Palmerbet repaid deposits made by the customer after their registration with BetStop.

Incorrect Customer Details Prevented BetStop Match

The case provides a detailed example of how customer information can affect the effectiveness of a national self-exclusion system.

Palmerbet told ACMA that it regularly checked the individual’s details against the National Self-Exclusion Register. However, ACMA found that requests submitted before 22 February 2025 did not return a positive match because the information held in the Palmerbet account did not correspond with the customer’s BetStop entry.

The regulator identified two specific discrepancies. Palmerbet had recorded an incorrect date of birth and used a shortened version of the customer’s first name. BetStop’s technical requirements state that operators should submit a customer’s full legal first and last names as shown on Australian government identification and should not use shortened names.

ACMA also noted that Palmerbet had previously received documentation showing the customer’s longer first name, but continued using the shortened version when making register checks.

ACMA said:

Once an individual registers with BetStop, wagering providers must close that person’s account as soon as practicable.

Customer Placed 312 Bets Before Account Closure

BetStop records show the customer became registered on 2 September 2023. Their Palmerbet account, which had originally been opened in 2018, remained active until 22 February 2025.

ACMA found that the individual was able to wager through Palmerbet on 18 separate days between 8 December 2024 and 22 February 2025. The regulator’s 23 September enforcement announcement confirmed that 312 bets were accepted during that period.

The case follows previous BetStop enforcement against Ladbrokes and Neds, where ACMA also identified failures involving wagering accounts that remained accessible after customers had entered the national self-exclusion system.

Palmerbet Agrees to Independent Compliance Review

ACMA did not announce a financial penalty in the Palmerbet case. Instead, the regulator accepted an 18-month court-enforceable undertaking requiring the bookmaker to commission a comprehensive independent review of its compliance systems and processes and invest in implementing recommended improvements.

Palmerbet also repaid all deposits made by the affected customer from the time they registered with BetStop through to February 2025. If Palmerbet fails to meet the undertaking’s requirements, ACMA can seek Federal Court enforcement.

The action sits within a broader compliance programme around the national register. Earlier in 2026, ACMA found that six Australian betting firms breached BetStop self-exclusion rules, with failures including allowing registered individuals to access wagering services or accounts.

For wagering operators and their technology providers, the Palmerbet investigation puts particular attention on the quality of customer data used for automated BetStop checks. ACMA’s findings show that running a register check alone may not identify an excluded customer when underlying identity information is inaccurate or does not meet the register’s technical requirements.