The British Gambling Commission has issued another multi-million-pound fine for anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility failings with a £3.25m penalty against Betfred for failings committed as recently as December.
The omnichannel operator registered as Done Bros (Cash Betting) Limited has 1,750 high-street betting shops, a website and an app. It was found to have committed breaches of licence conditions between January 2021 and December 2022.
It was found to have insufficient customer protection controls and insufficient monitoring of high-velocity spend and play duration, leaving some customers at risk of incurring substantial losses without receiving safer gambling interactions. The Gambling Commission also said Betfred had assumed winning customers had no risk, citing a case where a bettor wagered £517,499 without receiving an interaction.
Executive director of operations Kay Roberts said: “In recent years there’s been a public focus on online gambling but this case illustrates how important it is for us to continue our drive to raise standards across the whole industry.
“Gambling is a legitimate leisure activity enjoyed safely by millions but it is vital that every single operator – either online or offline – has in place effective safeguards to prevent harm or crime.”
The Gambling Commission also highlighted issues with poor record keeping. It said that Betfred lacked evidence of having evaluated individual customer interactions, which harmed the effectiveness of further customer interactions.
The omnichannel operator registered as Done Bros (Cash Betting) Limited has 1,750 high-street betting shops, a website and an app. It was found to have committed breaches of licence conditions between January 2021 and December 2022.
It was found to have insufficient customer protection controls and insufficient monitoring of high-velocity spend and play duration, leaving some customers at risk of incurring substantial losses without receiving safer gambling interactions. The Gambling Commission also said Betfred had assumed winning customers had no risk, citing a case where a bettor wagered £517,499 without receiving an interaction.
Executive director of operations Kay Roberts said: “In recent years there’s been a public focus on online gambling but this case illustrates how important it is for us to continue our drive to raise standards across the whole industry.
“Gambling is a legitimate leisure activity enjoyed safely by millions but it is vital that every single operator – either online or offline – has in place effective safeguards to prevent harm or crime.”
The Gambling Commission also highlighted issues with poor record keeping. It said that Betfred lacked evidence of having evaluated individual customer interactions, which harmed the effectiveness of further customer interactions.