Liquor & Gaming NSW warns betting providers over inducements and notices

An industry alert dated 29 October 2026 carries a reminder from Liquor & Gaming NSW to every licensed betting service provider in New South Wales about what the law requires of them. The alert's stated subject is compliance with statutory notices and with restrictions on gambling inducements, and the regulator links the reminder to worries it has about how providers are meeting both sets of rules.

Section 33H of the Betting and Racing Act 1998 bars NSW-accessible gambling advertising from offering inducements to gamble or to gamble more often, and opening a betting account counts as one of the prohibited inducements. The alert gives examples of what counts, among them credit offers, vouchers, rewards programs, and gambling products or product features that deliver extra benefits or enhancements. A disclaimer saying the offer is unavailable in NSW does not remove the restriction, the regulator adds.

The regulator said it is considering enforcement action, including potential prosecution, against a large betting service provider that it says has repeatedly advertised inducements such as bonus credits. The maximum penalty for an individual is 100 penalty units and for a corporation 1,000 penalty units. Liquor & Gaming NSW said it will consider regulatory action, including prosecution, against providers that offer gambling inducements or fail to comply with statutory notices.

Turning to statutory notices, the regulator says it has spotted a possible problem: wagering providers might not be answering notices issued under section 21 of the Gaming and Liquor Administration Act 2007 as they should. An inspector from Liquor & Gaming NSW, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority or a police officer can issue such a notice, which obliges the recipient to supply information, records or both about a matter arising under the gaming and liquor legislation. The notice itself sets out the information sought, the manner of provision and the deadline.

According to the alert, a betting service provider needs governance, systems and controls that let it spot a statutory notice on arrival, pass it up to the right staff and answer it fully and accurately on time. Answers that are incomplete, overdue or otherwise inadequate can amount to non-compliance, the regulator warns. Section 34 of the Gaming and Liquor Administration Act 2007 makes it an offence, absent a lawful excuse, to refuse or fail to comply with a statutory notice, and knowingly giving false or misleading information is likewise an offence; failing to comply carries a maximum of 100 penalty units.

Liquor & Gaming NSW makes clear that a provider's duty to comply with a notice is unaffected by internal administrative processes, legal reviews or information gathering that may be in progress. It wants providers to examine how they receive and answer statutory notices, and it calls on executives to keep watch over those processes and to have systems ready to find, gather and supply every relevant record and piece of information by the due date. The regulator adds that heavier commercial or operational demands tied to major racing events are no excuse for non-compliance, and it points providers to its earlier guidance on gambling advertising and inducements.