Australia’s premier online gambling licensing body has told its licensees they must stop offering in-play sports wagers in four weeks.

On Friday, the Northern Territory Racing Commission (NTRC) sent its licensees a letter saying they must close down any online in-play betting apps within 28 days in order to “head off future action by the federal government.”

In April, the federal government released its review of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which permits in-play sports wagers only over the telephone. The review recommended that the government close the loophole that had allowed some NT-licensed operators to offer voice-activated smartphone ‘click-to-call’ apps that circumvented the IGA’s online in-play restriction.

However, while the government requested that the offending operators – William Hill, Bet365, Sportsbet and Unibet – withdraw their apps, it offered no timeline for complying, leading the operators to conclude that they’d be fools to shut down the money-making apps until they were explicitly ordered to pull the plug.

Australia’s premier online gambling licensing body has told its licensees they must stop offering in-play sports wagers in four weeks.

On Friday, the Northern Territory Racing Commission (NTRC) sent its licensees a letter saying they must close down any online in-play betting apps within 28 days in order to “head off future action by the federal government.”

In April, the federal government released its review of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which permits in-play sports wagers only over the telephone. The review recommended that the government close the loophole that had allowed some NT-licensed operators to offer voice-activated smartphone ‘click-to-call’ apps that circumvented the IGA’s online in-play restriction.

However, while the government requested that the offending operators – William Hill, Bet365, Sportsbet and Unibet – withdraw their apps, it offered no timeline for complying, leading the operators to conclude that they’d be fools to shut down the money-making apps until they were explicitly ordered to pull the plug.

Australia’s cutthroat online sports betting market has resulted in the growth of many operators, except for one—William Hill.

According to Australian investment bank UBS, the UK bookmaker has been left in the dust amid the “fierce competition” in the online sports betting sector, web financial group Digital Look reported.

Data from the investment bank showed William Hill has “lost market share” down under compared to its rival Ladbrokes over the past three quarters. Ladbrokes, in particular, posted a growth that averages more than 50 percent, while William Hill experienced an 8 percent fall, according to UBS.

UBS analyst Chris Stevens said: “The growth in Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and CrownBet over the last three years has intensified competition in the Australian online sportsbetting market, driving William Hill’s market share from 34 percent to just 12 percent (of the digital market), and net revenue flat in 2015 versus 2013 despite the market growing at around 15 percent per year.”

Australia’s cutthroat online sports betting market has resulted in the growth of many operators, except for one—William Hill.

According to Australian investment bank UBS, the UK bookmaker has been left in the dust amid the “fierce competition” in the online sports betting sector, web financial group Digital Look reported.

Data from the investment bank showed William Hill has “lost market share” down under compared to its rival Ladbrokes over the past three quarters. Ladbrokes, in particular, posted a growth that averages more than 50 percent, while William Hill experienced an 8 percent fall, according to UBS.

UBS analyst Chris Stevens said: “The growth in Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and CrownBet over the last three years has intensified competition in the Australian online sportsbetting market, driving William Hill’s market share from 34 percent to just 12 percent (of the digital market), and net revenue flat in 2015 versus 2013 despite the market growing at around 15 percent per year.”