Inquest hears targeted betting inducements drew Melbourne man back to gambling before his death
An inquest into the death of a young Melbourne man has heard that targeted promotional offers from online betting companies played a significant role in drawing him back to gambling, despite his repeated attempts to stop. Kyle Hudson, 22, died on 6 July 2021, after gambling more than $895,000 over a four-year period, according to testimony before the Victorian coroner's court.
Coroner Paul Lawrie is investigating the circumstances and likely contributing factors to Hudson's death, including whether betting companies such as Sportsbet, Entain, and bet365 accurately assessed his risk of gambling-related harm. The inquest, which began on Monday, has heard detailed evidence about Hudson's betting history and the impact of the industry's marketing practices.
The scale of Hudson's gambling
Forensic accountant Cameron Gray told the court on Wednesday that Hudson engaged in sustained gambling activity over four years, wagering $895,733 across 8,485 bets. He deposited $406,725 into betting accounts and withdrew $358,779, resulting in a net gambling loss of approximately $47,946, Gray said. Hudson's total income over that same period was $105,000.
Gray explained that the total turnover reflected repeated betting and re-betting of funds retained within his gambling accounts, as well as the reinvestment of winnings into further bets. His analysis showed Hudson experienced a brief period of overall net financial gain in July 2017, but his losses steadily increased from then on.
The court heard that Hudson redeemed 489 inducements from gambling companies between opening his first betting account on his 18th birthday in 2017 and the day of his death. More than 300 of these inducements came from Sportsbet and 72 from bet365, delivered via email and SMS, averaging more than one per week.
Gray testified that on multiple occasions, Hudson withdrew all funds from his gambling accounts and did not bet or deposit money back until he received deposit-match inducements—offers where companies provide bonus bets equal to the amount a customer deposits. These deposit matches were, in Gray's assessment, “influential to Mr Hudson's betting activity,” though they did not determine all of his gambling behaviour.
Personal testimony from Hudson's partner
Hudson's girlfriend of seven years, Ashley Baker, described him as “a genuine good bloke” with a “quiet nature” who “would never swear or raise his voice at me.” But she told the inquest that the construction management student also loved gambling, and that he opened an online betting account with Sportsbet on his 18th birthday.
“The only thing Kyle and I would argue over was his gambling,” Baker said.
The first sign that Hudson might be struggling came during a holiday at Phillip Island after his birthday, when he was “unusually quiet.” Baker knew he had received $2,000 from his mother as a birthday gift. She confronted him, and he told her he had lost all his money and wanted to die.
“It was a really unusual thing for him to say, and I asked him not to say that,” Baker told the court. She added, “I think this represented Kyle's first significant [gambling] loss. This is really when Kyle's habit turned bad.”
Baker said Hudson had tried numerous times to reduce and limit his gambling, including imposing limits on himself and taking breaks. After he lost $20,000 in December 2020, he gave Baker control of most of his money and the password to his Sportsbet account, she testified.
Company response and broader questions
The inquest also heard from Sarah Rizzo, Sportsbet's director of customer operations, who said the company's procedures have changed since Hudson's death. She acknowledged that Hudson's betting behaviour triggered behavioural alerts on 37 occasions with Sportsbet, but the specifics of how those alerts were handled have not yet been fully detailed in open court.
The case has raised broader concerns about the effectiveness of responsible gambling measures and the role of targeted promotions in encouraging continued betting, particularly among young adults. The coroner is expected to examine whether the companies involved adequately assessed Hudson's risk of gambling-related harm and whether their interventions were timely or appropriate.
Perspectives
The evidence presented so far highlights a tension between industry claims of responsible gambling practices and the lived experience of individuals like Hudson, who were repeatedly enticed back to betting despite clear signs of harm. While the inquest is ongoing, the testimony from both the forensic accountant and Hudson's partner paints a picture of a young man caught in a cycle of loss, inducement, and despair.
Baker's account provides a human dimension to the statistics, illustrating the personal toll of gambling addiction on families and loved ones. The company representatives, for their part, have indicated a willingness to review past practices, but questions remain about how effectively current systems identify and protect vulnerable customers.
As the inquest continues, the findings may have implications for how online betting companies are regulated in Australia, particularly regarding the use of inducements and the duty of care owed to customers showing signs of gambling-related harm.