Economy
Australian Sportsbook Fined for Targeting Problem Gambler
Newly launched Betr, an Australian online casino, and sportsbook has been found to have violated the Northern Territory online gambling code of conduct by targeting a self-excluded problem gambler. Despite being on the Northern Territory self-exclusion register, the player, known as Mr. M, was contacted by Betr via phone and text message, offering him the opportunity to open a new account on their site for the upcoming Melbourne Cup. As a result of this breach, the Northern Territory Racing Commission has fined Betr a sum of AU$ 20,655.
The story was heard nationwide, and countless anti-gambling advocates had their say. The CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, urged officials to pull the green light on the national self-exclusion register.
The national self-exclusion register was developed and legislated to prevent these types of problems from happening, and it should have been implemented years ago. Bennett also added that the federal government should prioritize implementation as soon as possible to protect problem gamblers better.
Northern Territory Self-Exclusion Register
The NT self-exclusion register allows every player from Australia to self-exclude themselves from every gambling site that is licensed by the Northern Territory. The exclusion period can last days, weeks, months, years, or indefinitely.
Because Betr is licensed by NT, they also have to follow and stick to every rule and regulation that the NT requires. The NT gambling code of conduct is pretty clear that all players who voluntarily self-excluded shouldn’t be contacted by gambling operators, no matter what type of material they are promoting.
According to the NT Racing Commission, Betr has access to the complete list of players who are part of the self-exclusion register, and records show that they received this list. Initially, Betr did not comment on the case when it first came to light. However, there are reports suggesting that the two representatives from Betr who contacted Mr. M used outdated documents that did not reflect the player’s current status on the self-exclusion register.
The Breach
Reportedly, representatives from Betr contacted Mr. M between October 5th and October 10th. It is worth noting that Betr had only launched shortly before these calls and text messages were sent, which suggests that their representatives may not have had access to the full customer database that includes self-excluded players at the time. The aftermath of this incident saw officials of Betr contact all of its representatives and staff to specifically tell them to do clear checks of the database and verify that the customer isn’t on the self-exclusion register before sending any promotional material.
The Northern Territory Racing Commission released a statement indicating that, while Betr may be a newly established online gambling platform, its senior managers and staff members are not new to the iGaming industry. The CEO of Betr, Andrew Menz, previously served as the CEO of BetEasy and therefore has significant experience in the field and knowledge of the regulations and guidelines set by the commission for obtaining a license.
The Commission also added that the lack of leadership was the main problem, and even though with years of experience in the field, senior management somehow allowed employees to contact players without even considering they might be on the self-exclusion register’s list.
The Nation Self-Exclusion Register
Australian gamblers have been eagerly anticipating the implementation of the National self-exclusion register for nearly four years. The register was a component of the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering, which was legislated by the federal government in 2019. The responsibility for launching the register falls to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, but they have only made an announcement about BetStop and haven’t made much progress since then.
Final Thoughts
There have been additional instances of online bookmakers and casinos sending promotional material to players who have already self-excluded in the Northern Territory, as reported by the Alliance of Gambling Reform. They argue that the implementation of the national self-exclusion register should be a minimum measure taken by the government to prevent such incidents, similar to the case of Mr. M.
But, Communication Minister Michelle Rowland has emphasized that thorough security evaluations must be carried out before the National Self-Exclusion Register may go live. With over 100 Australian online casinos and sportsbooks sending millions of customer details to the register, adequate cybersecurity and data protection is critical for the safety and security of personal and banking information. It remains to be seen whether the essential steps will be implemented.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is seeking a reduction in import duty exemptions, which rose to N34 trillion, limiting its ability to increase its revenue generation threshold.
The Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the value of import duty exemption certificate approvals increased to that level in 2025, describing the policy as one of the major factors restricting its revenue generation.
At an investigative session of the Senate Committee on Finance with revenue-generating agencies in Abuja on Monday, Mr Adeniyi explained that government fiscal policies have continued to impact the revenue-generating capacity of the Customs Service, both positively and negatively.
“The NCS would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government-approved import duty waivers and other external factors affecting collections,” he said.
He added that the Import Duty Exemption Certificate scheme, introduced in March 2020, accounted for about N34 trillion in approvals in 2025, with nearly 60 per cent covering duty-free importation of military hardware due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
Other government-backed duty waivers, he noted, covered the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs, as well as food import intervention programmes.
While acknowledging the impact of the waivers on Customs revenue, Mr Adeniyi argued that fiscal policy should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue generation but also on its broader economic and social objectives.
He, however, urged the federal government to establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of duty waivers deliver the intended economic outcomes, including lower consumer prices, increased local production and improved healthcare access.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several heads of government agencies invited to the hearing, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mr Sani Musa, warned that the affected chief executives must appear at the committee’s next sitting or face severe sanctions under the Senate’s rules.
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By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units traded for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
