Australia -- Bet365 in Brouhaha Offer Bonus Offers

Okay, so really, when is an online casino making a misleading offer on its bonus? That is something that is going to be debated in Australlia in the coming months.

And the situation involves one of the largest companies in the entire industry.

Bet365 has been taken into court by a consumer watchdog group called the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, otherwise known as the ACCC, with allegations that it made a series of misleading representations to consumers about is offers.

First, a bit of a primer. Casinos commonly makes bonuses available to players. The thrust of the bonus is to be able to park some "free" money into an account, often matching the amount of the deposit, and subject to certain wagering requirements that are generally spelled out somewhere on the website. When the requirements are met, usually entailing that the customer wager a certain multiple of those dollars in the casino (or sportsbook, whatever the case may be), those funds are then added to the real money account. This is generally common practice.

What this complaint alleges is that the practice conveyed, in effect, that those signing up for new accounts with Bet365 "would be entitled to up to $200 in bets without limitation or restriction." Hence the so-called misleading of the customer.

In this case, there is the assertion that the customers who are at the heart of the complaint were promised a $200 free bet but had to gamble $200 of their own money first. This would seem to indicate a bonus offer in their sportsbook. And there was a requirement six times that amount of money had to be gambled before any withdrawals were made.

This is what the ACCC is looking for: "declarations, injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising, a compliance program and costs from Bet365." Well, they may have gotten the compliance program, as Bet365 changed some things on its website.

But that doesn't necessarily mean they are guilty. The counsel for Bet365 was wondering what specifically was being alleged, as it wasn't made exactly clear. You see, whenever a customer engages in one of these offers, he or she is asked to take a look at the terms and conditions of the offer, and the details are generally made pretty clear.

And it should also be pointed out that it is not all that uncommon for a customer who has lost his or her bets to become despondent over it and seek refunds or retribution. If the ACCC is not ail that familiar with the way these websites customarily operate, it could become a case of them being "had" by a sore loser.

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