Anyone here get one of these cold calls?
Sportsbet defends free 'betting vouchers'
Betting agency Sportsbet has defended a campaign involving cold calls to mobile phones offering free betting vouchers.
The Northen Territory-based agency has hired a marketing company to make random calls to mobiles, offering a free $60 betting voucher in a recorded message.
Sportbet chief executive Matthew Tripp says the campaign is lawful and fair, but the agency had already decided to cancel it at the end of June.
"I think there are other campaigns out there that we could run that will have more effect," he said.
The New South Wales Opposition says the calls show the State Government has failed to protect problem gamblers.
But state Gaming Minister Graham West says it is a federal matter.
"Telecommunications is regulated by the Federal Government, so we need to talk directly to Federal Government about it," he said.
Mr West says he will raise the issue with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
The principal solicitor at Wesley Mission's credit legal service, Richard Brading, says the intensity of the betting phone calls has increased in recent weeks.
He says the promise of $60 credit is being used as bait to lure people into gambling.
"There's a fair bit of evidence that one of the best ways to get people started on gambling is to give them free bets," he said.
"That's something that is prohibited in some forms of gambling, such as poker machine gambling here in New South Wales, and it's not something we've seen in Australia in any widespread degree to date."
Betting agency Sportsbet has defended a campaign involving cold calls to mobile phones offering free betting vouchers.
The Northen Territory-based agency has hired a marketing company to make random calls to mobiles, offering a free $60 betting voucher in a recorded message.
Sportbet chief executive Matthew Tripp says the campaign is lawful and fair, but the agency had already decided to cancel it at the end of June.
"I think there are other campaigns out there that we could run that will have more effect," he said.
The New South Wales Opposition says the calls show the State Government has failed to protect problem gamblers.
But state Gaming Minister Graham West says it is a federal matter.
"Telecommunications is regulated by the Federal Government, so we need to talk directly to Federal Government about it," he said.
Mr West says he will raise the issue with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
The principal solicitor at Wesley Mission's credit legal service, Richard Brading, says the intensity of the betting phone calls has increased in recent weeks.
He says the promise of $60 credit is being used as bait to lure people into gambling.
"There's a fair bit of evidence that one of the best ways to get people started on gambling is to give them free bets," he said.
"That's something that is prohibited in some forms of gambling, such as poker machine gambling here in New South Wales, and it's not something we've seen in Australia in any widespread degree to date."