Coroner slams Betfair for failing vulnerable gamblers

Betfair has come under fire after one of its customers – a recovering gambling addict – committed suicide following a relapse.

In June, an inquest found that Luke Ashton’s “gambling disorder” contributed to his death and that Betfair “may have changed the outcome” if it had taken more steps than just sending him automatic “awareness” emails.

In a prevention of future deaths report, the Leicester area coroner criticised the gambling firm for implying that it was only responsible for adhering to “industry standards, rather than current good or best practice”.

‘Failure’

Coroner Ivan Cartwright stated: “I remain concerned that the algorithm devised and operated by Betfair to assist its staff in, amongst other things, observing and monitoring the gambling patterns and practices of its customers failed to flag up Mr Ashton as a problem gambler.”

Cartwright said that this was “despite the increases in his time online, the value of his deposits and the size of his losses”.

The report has been sent to the Gambling Commission and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

A spokesman for Betfair owner Flutter UK & Ireland said: “We have a made a number of changes to our systems and controls since early 2021 and remain committed to incorporating additional learnings from this case.”

Delays

Earlier this year, the Government was criticised for ‘kicking the can down the road’ by submitting the majority of its proposed gambling measures to consultation, rather than seeking to introduce them directly into law.

The Government’s White Paper on reforming the Gambling Act 2005 recommends placing maximum stake limits on online slot machine games, such as £2 or £4 for under 25s and between £2 and £15 for those over 25. It will also review game speeds to require firms to remove features which cause greater financial risk to gamblers of all ages.

A Gambling Commission spokesperson has reported that it is “in the process” of implementing the recommendations and will consult on several proposals, including “safety measures to ensure bonus offers and incentives do not lead to excessive or harmful gambling”.

The Christian Institute’s Ciarán Kelly said: “This review has been subject to repeated delays and putting out the majority of its proposals to consultation kicks the can down the road yet again. Problem gambling wrecks lives. It’s causing havoc in our society and the issue is not going away. The Government must act now to stem the tide.”