Complain about a bookmaker or betting exchange operator

You must first make every reasonable effort to resolve disputes directly with the operator.

They have systems in place to:

• review
• record
• manage
• investigate.

If you are unhappy with the outcome you may be able to refer your complaint to the Northern Territory (NT) Racing Commission.

Your complaint to the commission must be made within 14 days after the completion of the sporting event.

If you make a complaint after 14 days you will need to give a reason for the delay in making a complaint.

The commission may review late complaints.

What the commission can't investigate

The commission can’t investigate any of the following:

• requests for compensation or damages
• customer service disputes
• complaints about bets that were never accepted, processed or refused
  • including cashouts being removed or not being offered
• betting accounts where restrictions have been imposed by the wagering operator
  • including the use of their promotions, or on the amount a customer can bet
• complaints about minimum bet laws
• betting accounts that have been closed by the wagering operator.

If your complaint relates to any of the above, you should seek your own legal advice to check your options.

If your complaint relates to an operator outside of the NT, contact the relevant authority in the state or territory where they are licensed.

Find out more about the role of the commission on the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade website.

Before you make a complaint

You should first try to resolve the matter with the operator as soon as any disputes arise.

You can help resolve the matter by:

• checking your rights by reading the terms and conditions
• contacting the operator and explaining the issue and the outcome you want
• providing the operator with information that supports your claim
• asking for a dispute reference number as evidence of your dispute.

If your dispute has still not been resolved, you may lodge a complaint with the commission.

Make a complaint

To make a complaint, fill in the gambling dispute form.

You must provide all of the following information:

• a summary of the complaint and the outcome you want
• details of the bet in dispute
• the dispute reference number provided by the wagering operator
• what contact you have had with the wagering operator to try and resolve the dispute, and the outcome
• the name of the wagering operator
• your betting account details
• copies of information including betting slips and other correspondence that support your complaint.

Making a complaint on the behalf of another person

You can make a complaint on the behalf of someone else.

When submitting the complaint, you must provide:

• a valid reason for acting on the behalf of the other person
• a signed authority from to act on their behalf
• information to support their claim.

Anonymous complaints

You can make an anonymous complaint. However, it will only be investigated if:

• it raises a serious matter and
• there is sufficient information to enable the commission to investigate.

If you wish to make an anonymous complaint, call Licensing NT on 08 8999 1800.

After you submit a complaint

Complaints can take 12 to 24 months to be finalised from when they are received.

The commission will assess your complaint to make sure it meets the legal requirements of the:

• Racing and Betting Act 1983
• NT Code of Practice for Responsible Service of Online Gambling 2019.

The commission may decide to take any of the following actions:

• hold a hearing and summon the people involved to give evidence
• take evidence from other people
• request books, accounts, tickets or other documents from those involved.

If the commission upholds the complaint it can do any of the following:

• impose penalties including fines
• suspend or cancel a wagering operator's licence
• decide whether bets associated with a client account are lawful or unlawful
• direct the wagering operator to take specific action.

Publishing the decision

Dispute or discipline decisions can be published if the commission decides it is in the public interest.

Responsible gambling

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, you can get help through Gambling Help Online.

If you need help to stop yourself gambling at a licensed venue, you can apply for a self-exclusion notice.