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Picklebet Pays $19,800 Penalty for Taking Bets From a BetStop Registrant

Ethan ClarkeBy , Regulation and Responsible Gambling Editor
Published

Puntaa Pty Ltd, the licensed wagering provider that trades as Picklebet, has paid a $19,800 penalty for breaching the rules of BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) published the outcome in October 2026, with trade press reporting it on 23 October.

What happened

The ACMA’s investigation found that on 9 February 2026 Picklebet accepted bets from a person who had registered with BetStop only hours earlier that day. The bookmaker closed the person’s account later the same day.

The ACMA’s infringement notice records the conduct as a contravention of subsection 61KA(3) of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. That provision prohibits a licensed provider from offering an interactive wagering service to a person on the register. The obligation applies from the moment a registration takes effect, which is why a gap of a few hours is enough for a breach.

The ACMA did not announce an enforceable undertaking or other orders alongside the infringement notice.

Second time in the ACMA’s findings this year

Picklebet was one of six wagering providers the ACMA found in breach of BetStop obligations in January 2026, in investigations covering conduct during 2024. In that round:

  • Tabcorp paid $112,680 and gave a court-enforceable undertaking to review its customer verification processes;
  • Betfocus, LightningBet and TempleBet received remedial directions requiring independent audits;
  • BetChamps received a formal warning;
  • the enforcement outcome for Picklebet was still being finalised, according to The Straight.

The October penalty relates to the February 2026 breach set out in the infringement notice. We have not seen a separate public outcome for the 2024 matter.

A busy few weeks for BetStop enforcement

The Picklebet notice follows two larger BetStop cases. In mid-September 2026 the ACMA announced that Dabble Sports had paid $1,069,200 in penalties after failing to close 157 accounts held by BetStop registrants, and had given a two-year undertaking. On 23 September it found that Palmerbet had left one registrant’s account open for about 17 months; see our report on the Palmerbet undertaking.

The amount in the Picklebet case is small by comparison, reflecting a single customer and a same-day account closure. Even so, the ACMA has now acted against breaches ranging from hours to well over a year.

Penalties rise from 2027

The gambling reform package passed by Parliament in August 2026 strengthens BetStop from 1 January 2027, including substantially higher penalties for breaches of the self-exclusion rules. It also bans direct inducement marketing to a person for three months after they leave the register. Our summary of the wagering reform bill covers the full package.

What registrants should know

When you register with BetStop, every licensed Australian online and phone bookmaker must stop taking your bets and close your account as soon as practicable. If a bookmaker accepts a bet or sends you marketing after you register, you can report it to the ACMA. Our BetStop guide explains how registration works, and the self-exclusion overview compares BetStop with venue-based options. For free support, see our list of gambling help services.

On 9 February 2026 it accepted bets from a person who had registered with BetStop earlier that day. It closed the account later the same day.

Picklebet’s operator, Puntaa Pty Ltd, paid an infringement notice of $19,800 issued by the ACMA.

Under the reform package passed in August 2026, higher penalties for breaches of the self-exclusion rules apply from 1 January 2027.

Sources

Header photo: A man using a cell phone to take a photo by Boaventuravinicius, licensed CC BY 4.0.