Tabcorp ACMA Fine: What the $2.7M TAB Spam Penalty Means for Aussie Players

The Tabcorp ACMA fine landed this week at more than $2.7 million, after the regulator found TAB had been making illegal telemarketing calls and ignoring unsubscribe requests for over a year. It’s the second time in two years Tabcorp has been penalised for the same kind of conduct, and the latest entry in a busy year of Australian gambling news showing ACMA’s compliance crackdown isn’t just aimed at offshore operators.

Quick View: Tabcorp ACMA Fine

• The ACMA fined Tabcorp Holdings (TAB) more than $2.7 million for breaches of Australia’s spam and telemarketing laws.
• Between February 2024 and June 2025, TAB made close to 4,000 telemarketing calls without properly identifying itself, including 351 calls to numbers on the Do Not Call Register.
• TAB also sent more than 217,000 marketing emails and texts to customers who had already unsubscribed.
• This is Tabcorp’s second telemarketing and spam penalty from the ACMA, after a $4 million fine and a three-year enforceable undertaking in 2024.
• TAB now faces a fresh court-enforceable undertaking requiring an independent review of its telemarketing systems and regular compliance reporting.

What The Tabcorp ACMA Fine Actually Covers

The ACMA’s investigation found that between February 2024 and June 2025, TAB made telemarketing calls to VIP customers in breach of several separate rules at once. That included 351 calls to numbers listed on the Do Not Call Register without consent, 82 calls placed outside the permitted calling hours, and close to 4,000 calls where TAB failed to identify itself or the purpose of the call properly.

On top of the calls, TAB self-reported in 2025 that it had sent more than 217,000 marketing emails and SMS messages over 16 days to customers who had already unsubscribed from those specific marketing channels. Under the Spam Act and Do Not Call Register Act, businesses need consent to call or message someone, must stick to permitted hours, must identify themselves clearly, and have to honour opt-outs. TAB fell short on all four counts.

ACMA Authority member Samantha Yorke said the scale and range of the breaches pointed to serious weaknesses in TAB’s compliance systems, particularly given the company’s recent history and the broader risks tied to gambling advertising.

Why This Isn’t TAB’s First Fine For This

This is the second time the ACMA has penalised Tabcorp specifically for telemarketing and spam breaches. Back in 2024, the company was fined $4 million and accepted a three-year enforceable undertaking for similar conduct. This spam undertaking was still technically in force when this latest batch of breaches occurred. Businesses have collectively paid more than $12 million in spam and telemarketing penalties over the past 18 months, so TAB isn’t operating in an unusually harsh enforcement environment; it’s a repeat case within a pattern regulators are already watching closely.

It also lands the same month the gambling advertising reform bill began moving through federal parliament, part of a broader push to tighten the rules operators sit under. Those changes would sit alongside Australia’s existing gambling laws, which already gave ACMA the enforcement powers it used against TAB here.

A Real-World Scenario: What This Looks Like For A TAB Customer

Picture a TAB customer who unsubscribed from promotional texts a few months ago after deciding they wanted fewer betting prompts in their day. Under the rules TAB just breached, that unsubscribe request should have stopped all further marketing messages on that channel. Instead, some customers kept receiving them as part of the 217,000 messages sent to people who’d already opted out. Separately, VIP customers on TAB’s books were among those who received telemarketing calls that didn’t properly identify the caller, which is exactly the kind of call that makes it hard to know who’s actually contacting you or why.

A Common Misunderstanding About ACMA Enforcement

A lot of players assume ACMA’s gambling enforcement is mostly about blocking illegal offshore gambling sites and shutting down dodgy operators. That’s a big part of what the regulator does. Still, this case is a useful counterpoint: TAB is a fully licensed, mainstream Australian wagering operator, and it still copped a multi-million-dollar penalty for how it handled marketing communications. It’s a similar story to when Foxtel was investigated over alleged gambling ad breaches during a cricket broadcast: being a major, licensed household name doesn’t put you outside the reach of Australia’s advertising and telemarketing rules.

What This Means For You As A Player

If you’re a TAB customer, or a customer of any licensed Australian wagering operator, you have the right to unsubscribe from marketing calls, texts, and emails at any time, and operators are legally required to honour that request. If you’re still getting messages after opting out, or receiving calls that don’t properly identify the caller, that’s worth flagging directly with the operator, and you can also register your number with the Australian Do Not Call Register if you’d rather not get unsolicited marketing calls at all. None of this affects your ability to use your account as normal; it’s specifically about how operators are allowed to market to you.

Conclusion: Tabcorp ACMA Fine

The Tabcorp ACMA fine shows that Australia’s gambling compliance push extends well beyond offshore site blocking and touches how licensed, household-name operators handle everyday marketing. With a second penalty in two years and a fresh enforceable undertaking now in place, TAB will be under closer scrutiny of its telemarketing systems in the future, and it’s a timely reminder for players to check their own marketing preferences with any operator they use. For more on what’s happening across the industry, keep an eye on our latest AU gambling news.

FAQs About Tabcorp ACMA Fine

What is the Tabcorp ACMA fine actually for?

The ACMA fined Tabcorp (TAB) for breaching Australia’s spam and telemarketing laws, including calls to Do Not Call Register numbers, calls outside permitted hours, calls without proper identification, and marketing messages sent to customers who had unsubscribed.

How much was the Tabcorp ACMA fine?

The ACMA fine totalled more than $2.7 million, on top of a court-enforceable undertaking requiring TAB to review and improve its telemarketing systems.

Has the ACMA fined TAB before?

Yes, TAB has been fined before. TAB was fined $4 million in 2024 for similar spam and telemarketing breaches and was already under a three-year enforceable undertaking when these latest breaches occurred.

Does the Tabcorp ACMA fine affect my TAB account or betting?

No. The fine relates specifically to TAB’s marketing calls, emails, and texts, not to account access or wagering itself. If you’ve unsubscribed from marketing messages, you’re entitled to have that respected regardless of this case.

What can I do if I keep getting unwanted marketing calls from a betting operator?

You can report it directly to the operator, lodge a complaint with the ACMA, and register your number with the Australian Do Not Call Register to reduce unsolicited marketing calls generally.

18+ | Gamble Responsibly. Visit Gambling Help Online or call 1800 858 858 for free, confidential support. You can also register with BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion register.

Crazy Vegas may earn a commission when you use certain links on our site, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate Disclosure.