Betting giant Tapcorp has been fined $1 million for “frustrating” an investigation by the gambling regulator.

Its wagering and betting system suffered a major outage during the 2020 spring racing carnival for about 36 hours, breaking the terms of its licence that requires the platform to be available at all times.

Victoria’s regulator launched a probe into what happened, but Tabcorp is accused of repeatedly failing to comply with the investigation.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission says the betting company initially did not answer requests for information and eventually did so four months after the deadline.

The regulator says the conduct impacted its ability to understand the cause of the outage and to make sure it did not happen again.

The situation was unacceptable and will not be tolerated, Commission Chair Fran Thorn said.

“It is Tabcorp’s failure to comply with these directions that has led to the fine,” Ms Thorn said.

“All entities we regulate, no matter how big or small, have an obligation to be open and honest with the commission and responsive to its lawfully issued directions.

“We will not tolerate attempts to frustrate our investigations.”

The $1 million fine is the largest penalty the regulator has issued to the betting giant.

Tabcorp says the outage was caused by a fire in a third-party supplier and accepts the fine.

“Tabcorp accepts that it did not meet the expectations of the regulator following the outage,” a spokesman said.

He said that since the company demerged from its lotteries and keno business there had been a focus on improving the way it engages with regulators.

– AAP