Robbie Waterhouse, a prominent Australian bookmaker, is facing a hefty fine due to alleged misconduct. Allegations suggest that his platform, RobWaterhouse.com, enticed a player to continue betting after the player had chosen to close his account.
Player’s Decision to Close Account
In 2022, a customer reportedly requested the closure of their account following a disagreement. However, instead of honoring this request, Waterhouse’s company allegedly offered incentives to keep the player engaged, leading to further deposits.
Liquor and Gaming NSW claims that this action violated Australia’s Betting and Racing Act. They assert that an employee from RobWaterhouse.com accepted six bets from the customer in 2022, despite knowing about the closure request.
Waterhouse appeared in court on Monday, where he denied the charges. The case remains unresolved as Magistrate Gemma Slack-Smith, who was presiding, has been relocated and won’t make a decision until mid-November.
Denial of Allegations
Waterhouse and his legal team have refuted the charges. Lawyer Rob Ranken referenced chat logs showing that the player had threatened to move to a competitor after being denied a no-deposit bonus. Eventually, the player was offered a AUD 1,000 (approximately $670) deposit match bonus to reopen his account.
Liquor and Gaming NSW highlighted that RobWaterhouse.com did not close the customer’s account as requested but only suspended it. Consequently, Waterhouse faces charges for offering inducements to prevent account closure and accepting new bets after a closure request.
Despite his denials, if found guilty, Waterhouse could face a fine of up to AUD 121,000 (approximately $80,000).
Previously, Robbie Waterhouse was disqualified for life from holding a bookmaker’s license due to his involvement in the Fine Cotton affair, a notorious substitution scam. His ban was lifted in 2001.
