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.
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
