The arrival of another Melbourne Cup Carnival week has brought fresh scrutiny – and some choice satire – to Australia’s online sports betting industry.

The annual Melbourne racing event is roughly the equivalent of those salmon runs that bring all the bears down to Canadian riverbeds each year. Naturally, some betting operators are coming under fire for the methods they’re using to ensure they get their share of these fishy spoils.

In one case, a woman took to Australian radio airwaves to complain that Paddy Power Betfair’s down under division Sportsbet had sent an unsolicited text message to her mobile phone. The woman said she had never subscribed to any betting agencies, and that opting out of receiving further promotional messages proved more difficult than she’d have preferred.

The aggrieved woman suggested the apparent randomness of Sportbet’s targeting meant problem gamblers or underage phone users could have received similar messages. A red-faced Sportsbet subsequently issued a statement apologizing to “anyone who has received our communications unwantedly.”