Picklebet has paid an AUD19,800 penalty after accepting bets from a person who had already joined Australia's national self-exclusion register. The Australian Communications and Media Authority announced the action on 22 October 2026 against Puntaa Pty Ltd, which operates as Picklebet.
The conduct occurred on 9 February 2026, not on the announcement date. According to ACMA's findings, the person registered with BetStop several hours before Picklebet accepted their bets. The operator shut the account later on 9 February.
Registration, not account closure, is the cutoff
ACMA says a provider must stop supplying wagering services once a person has registered with BetStop. Closing this account later that day did not prevent the regulator from taking action over the bets accepted in the intervening period.
For wagering businesses, that distinction makes the period between registration and a later account action important. The obligation is not simply to close an account eventually: the exclusion must prevent further wagering from the point of registration.
BetStop's official guidance describes a free Australian government service covering licensed Australian online and telephone gambling providers. Registration also prevents those providers from opening a new betting account for the person or sending them gambling marketing. It should not be read as a worldwide exclusion from every casino or betting website.
BetTimes' comparison of self-exclusion registers explains why the relevant country, product and provider coverage matter when interpreting an exclusion.
Higher penalties start in January, not in this case
The same ACMA announcement points to new laws beginning on 1 January 2027, including substantially higher penalties for breaches of self-exclusion rules. Those changes are still prospective; they were not the rules in force for the February conduct described in this case.
ACMA reports that the AUD19,800 penalty has been paid, but does not give the payment date, the number or value of the bets, or any customer refund outcome. The announcement establishes an enforcement action over one registrant's access to wagering, not a finding about every Picklebet account or a compensation scheme.