Unibet Hit With $1M Fine For Self-Exclusion Rules Breaches

A content-driven events, media and publishing company that delivers news and insight to investors and iGaming professionals. Unibet has the option to appeal the ruling before the French Council of State within two months of notification. SPS further maintained that the number of players who actually suffered damage could not exceed 100​.

Understanding Self-Exclusion Systems and Their Purpose

• In 2023, Unibet’s Australian subsidiary, Betchoice, was fined AU$60,000 (~€38,000) for breaching advertising laws in New South Wales (NSW).
• The system is designed to prevent individuals registered in the self-exclusion program from accessing gambling services, whether online or in physical venues.
• According to a 2024 report from the UK Gambling Commission, approximately 3.4% of adult gamblers identify as problem gamblers, a figure that underscores ongoing concerns about gambling-related harm.
• Officials claim the move will level the regulatory playing field across digital platforms.

Utch authorities continue scrutinizing the company, and politicians have even called for areview of its license due to past violations. In 2023, Unibet’s Australian subsidiary, Betchoice, was fined AU$60,000 (~€38,000) for breaching advertising laws in New South Wales (NSW). Operators are mandated by law to verify all player registrations against the CRUKS database and deny access to those listed. This lapse in compliance was first flagged in mid-2023, prompting an official investigation. The fine comes after KSA’s investigation revealed that Unibet had failed to comply with CRUKS regulations during the 2022 World Cup. This decision may be appealed to the Conseil d’État within two months of its notification.

Market research shows a slow but steady increase in the number of players migrating to non-CRUKS casinos since 2023. In 2021, following reports, the ANJ services discovered a computer malfunction on the ‘Unibet.fr’ application and website for devices using the iOS operating system. In fact, players self-exclusion requests made in months were automatically converted to days. Therefore, a player who requested a twelve-month self-exclusion was only self-excluded for twelve days. Effective July 1, 2025, the territory government will double its annual wagering tax cap for licensed sports betting platforms from one to two million revenue units.

This has created demand for online casinos and sportsbooks that operate without linking to centralized self-exclusion registers. Such platforms often operate under different regulatory regimes or in jurisdictions that do not mandate participation in systems like CRUKS. The Committee confirmed the breaches and imposed a public penalty of €800,000, justified by the large number of players who were unable to benefit from this protection system. This decision, which is unprecedented in its scope, is a reminder of the Committee’s commitment to penalising operators who fail to meet their obligations to prevent excessive gambling. It should be noted that after the imposition of the fine, Unibet has voluntarily committed to issuing refunds to affected customers who were able to access accounts that should have been closed. According to ACMA, these actions are a significant step by the company toward ensuring future compliance with regulatory requirements.

Do These Fines Serve as a Real Deterrent?

The presence of these no-self-exclusion platforms has sparked ongoing discussions about the balance between protecting vulnerable players and maintaining a legal, open market. Regulators must consider how to address cross-jurisdictional challenges and the risk of players moving to less unibetofficial.com controlled environments, which could increase the likelihood of problem gambling. This model has been praised for reducing the need for individuals to self-exclude at multiple venues separately, simplifying the process and increasing its effectiveness.

The malfunction at Unibet occurred from 2 March 2021 to 11 December 2022 before being fixed by the operator. However, during an update, the malfunction reappeared and affected players playing on an iOS device from 29 December 2022 to 2 February 2023. For players who wish to take a break from gambling because they feel vulnerable or need to take a step back, the legislator has introduced a system of self-exclusion from gambling. The initial problem lasted from 2 March 2021 to 11 December 2022 before being corrected. However, a software update reintroduced the error, again affecting iOS users from 29 December 2022 to 2 February 2023.

In particular, some gamblers who self-exclude through centralized systems may turn to platforms outside these frameworks to continue gambling. While self-exclusion can reduce harm within regulated markets, it does not eliminate access to gambling. This phenomenon is supported by data from a 2025 survey by the Gambling Research Exchange Ontario, which found that approximately 12% of self-excluded individuals used alternative sites to continue gambling. Betchoice Corporation, the parent company of the online betting platform Unibet, has been fined $1,014,120 for not shutting down the accounts of 954 customers who had chosen to self-exclude from gambling. For some gamblers, the restrictions imposed by self-exclusion are too rigid or may conflict with their personal preferences.

In addition to the double tax cap, the Territory will impose a 50% tax on all online gambling, lottery ticket resales, and matching-profit services. Officials claim the move will level the regulatory playing field across digital platforms. Unibet’s repeated fines and regulatory issues show that financial penalties alone don’t ensure compliance. On one hand, they serve players who might otherwise be excluded from gambling, preserving player choice and market competition. On the other hand, they introduce regulatory gaps that complicate efforts to reduce gambling-related harm.

Dispute over number of affected players

These relate to not closing the accounts of 954 customers who had registered with BetStop, Australia’s National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER). In 2024, France’s national lottery operator, FDJ (Française des Jeux), acquired Kindred Group, Unibet’s parent company, as part of its expansion into the sports betting sector. Between March 2021 and December 2022, a system malfunction let thousands of self-excluded players continue gambling, undermining responsible gaming efforts.

The Authority’s investigation uncovered what it deemed serious and prolonged breaches by Unibet. In 2021, reports alerted the ANJ to a major malfunction in Unibet.fr’s self-exclusion system, affecting users of iOS devices. As a result, a player wishing to self-exclude for 12 months found himself excluded for only 12 days. This bug potentially affected several thousand players, exposing them to increased risks of excessive gambling.

Unibet, like many bookies, is not above the practice of ‘gubbing’ or restricting the activity of winning accounts to limit its losses and boost profitability. This guide will explain to you why Unibet may have restricted or suspended your account, as well as what steps you can take to attempt to recover full access to your account. A Unibet account restriction can happen for a number of reasons and will be related to this bookie’s attempts to prevent misuse of its platform or protect its bottom line. If you deleted your Unibet account permanently due to boredom, try the below alternatives.