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Ladbrokes Quick Call - gone
West Australian Racing
Chris
5,734 posts
Ladbrokes have now removed their Quick Call feature, it's heartbreaking we have this pointless legislation
Ladbrokes takes down Quickcall service in Australia amid crackdown
U.K. bookmaker Ladbrokes had taken down its Quickcall feature in Australia following a crackdown by federal agencies, local media reported.
The service allows in-play bets to be placed through a mobile device with the click of a mouse as long as the phone’s microphone is activated. As such, the service appears to circumvent Australian legislation that only allows in-play bets to be placed through a phone call, the reports said.
Other operators, such as Bet365 and William Hill are also offering similar services.
Australia’s free-to-air television industry as also said it won’t accept ads for Quickcall and other similar products until their legality can be established in court.
The Australian newspaper reported that the Australian Communications and Media Authority has written to the three gambling companies to tell them it believes their services — designed to open up a lucrative new live-betting frontier — do not comply with the law.
Ladbrokes takes down Quickcall service in Australia amid crackdown
U.K. bookmaker Ladbrokes had taken down its Quickcall feature in Australia following a crackdown by federal agencies, local media reported.
The service allows in-play bets to be placed through a mobile device with the click of a mouse as long as the phone’s microphone is activated. As such, the service appears to circumvent Australian legislation that only allows in-play bets to be placed through a phone call, the reports said.
Other operators, such as Bet365 and William Hill are also offering similar services.
Australia’s free-to-air television industry as also said it won’t accept ads for Quickcall and other similar products until their legality can be established in court.
The Australian newspaper reported that the Australian Communications and Media Authority has written to the three gambling companies to tell them it believes their services — designed to open up a lucrative new live-betting frontier — do not comply with the law.
Comments
I use William Hill and Tom W for click to call. And love it.
They in the same boat as Ladbrokes Chris?
Ladbrokes have already pulled up stumps, William Hill doesn't seem t care this stage.
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http://forum.thoroughbredvillage.com.au/ladbrokes_topic55422.html
Courtesy of The Age
An online betting site run by controversial bookmaker Tom Waterhouse could face fines totalling more than $250 million for offering an "in-play" betting service reportedly being investigated by the Federal Police.
The "in-play" service offered online by bookmaker William Hill, where Mr Waterhouse is chief executive, was launched on April 20. Originally called "Click to Call", it was re-branded recently with a youtube advert that satirises an ad by competitor Tabcorp. It boasts the service is "so easy, a competitor even made a complaint".
The Australian Federal Police is reportedly investigating the service after a complaint was made to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Mr Waterhouse told the Herald Sun the advert had been withheld from television until the AFP "comes back on it".
The service comes as an app, which uses a mobile phone call to place a bet.
The user sets the bet on the app, which calls a number. Once the call is connected the user taps a button to confirm the bet.
In a statement released Wednesday titled "William Hill pushes the boundaries with in-play betting campaign", Mr Waterhouse said the service was "100 per cent legal and fits within the [Interactive Gambling Act 2001]".
The statement further described the advert as "so big and bold; it cannot be shown on TV".
The IGA has been interpreted to make it an offence to offer bets over the internet after an event has begun, but it specifically excludes "telephone betting" from the offence. It defines this as a service "provided on the basis that dealings with customers are wholly by way of voice calls made using a standard telephone service".
"Throughout development and before launching In-Play, William Hill Australia took prudent steps to ensure the product, as a telephone betting service, was compliant under the IGA," said William Hill spokesman Tim Ashworth. "We remain 100% confident in the legality of the service and have received senior legal counsel advising us as such. William Hill's In-Play technology is a lot more complex than simply turning on your microphone and uses similar technology to companies such as Skype and Viber."
On the date the ad was launched, the IGA provided for a penalty of $340,000 a day for a person who offers interactive gambling in Australia. Since July 31, that figure has increased to $360,000 a day.
However, under the Crimes Act, a court could decide that a company should be fined up to five times the amount that could be levied on a "natural" person.
If that were done, the total fine that could be imposed on the company would total $261.5 million as of Thursday, increasing by $1.8 million a day.
I love the service, wish they'd bugger off and just let us bet
Karma.
William Hill Australia claims victory in ‘Click to Call’ battle
William Hill Australia appears to have won a legal battle over its ‘Click to Call’ betting feature after it was confirmed that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) will not investigate the bookmaker for breaching national online gaming laws.
As reported by iGaming Business, William Hill’s Australian arm has come under fire in recent months over the feature, which enables punters in the country to place telephone bets through smartphones and laptops.
Australian Social Services Minister Scott Morrison in September described the feature as “illegal” and called on lawmakers in the country to pressure William Hill into withdrawing the service.
However, Tom Waterhouse, who runs the William Hill Australia operation after it acquired his own bookmaking business in August 2013, defended the feature, stating that the company was “100% confident” that it was legal.
This stance has seemingly been approved by the AFP, which has announced that it will not proceed with its investigation of the company.
The AFP said in a statement: “Following evaluation, in line with the AFP’s case categorisation and prioritisation model, this matter was not accepted by the AFP for further investigation.”
Waterhouse praised the AFP for its decision, adding: “William Hill has received formal confirmation that the AFP will not be investigating the complaints referred to it by the Australian Communication and Media Authority regarding its ‘In-Play’ product that allows customers to bet live during a game with just a few taps.
“This is a great outcome for Australian punters who will no longer be forced to bet in-play via illegal offshore bookmakers which pose a huge threat to both consumer protection and the integrity of Australian sport.”
The Australian Communication and Media Authority also said that while its concerns over the feature remain, it will accept the AFP’s decision
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