Betting site £7.8m ‘fine’

888 let addicts carry on playing

ONLINE gambling firm 888 have been hit with a record £7.8million penalty for allowing vulnerable punters to carry on playing.

One customer who had barred himself from the site was able to go on a £1.3million binge, playing for three to four hours a day.

It was discovered the gambler had stolen £55,000 from his employer to fund the spree.

The Gambling Commission said more than 7000 customers who had chosen to exclude themselves from their 888 accounts were instead allowed to continue playing cyber bingo.

In total, they were able to stake £3.5million over a 13-month period before the problem was spotted.

The regulators slammed Gibraltar-based 888 for what they called “serious failures in its handling of vulnerable customers”.

Gambling Commission chief executive Sarah Harrison said: “Safeguarding consumers is not optional. Every company must provide the facility for every customer to be able to bar themselves from gambling.”

The £7.8million “fine” includes repaying the £3.5million deposits made by self-excluded customers and £62,000 compensation to the employer from whom money was stolen.

A further £4.25million will be invested in measures to tackle gambling-related harm.

888 said: “The company accept the conclusion of the review and are committed to providing players with a responsible as well as enjoyable gaming experience.”

Brian Chappell, of campaign group Justice4Punters, said: “We receive numerous cases where people who have self-excluded are allowed to gamble again.

“The period of time it takes companies to pick this up varies immensely.

“This is unacceptable and the whole industry needs to tighten up its policies.”