Maurice Blackburn Lawyers has filed a class action lawsuit against Sportsbet in the Supreme Court of Victoria over alleged illegal in-game bets made through the Fast Code service. The firm argues that these in-play bets violate Australian laws prohibiting betting on sporting events after they have commenced, except by telephone.
Sportsbet has already paid a $2.5 million fine and committed to refunding $1.2 million to customers for breaching Australia’s spam laws. The class action seeks refunds for all individuals who lost money placing in-play bets using Sportsbet’s Fast Code service over the past six years, excluding racing events.
The lawsuit claims that Sportsbet engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct by representing the Fast Code service as legal, despite it being used to circumvent laws aimed at preventing gambling harm. The class action is seeking compensation for affected individuals and is urging anyone struggling with gambling issues to seek help from the National Gambling Helpline.
