End unfair offers, betting sites told

BOOKMAKERS have been ordered to withdraw ‘unfair’ online deals that encourage customers to gamble for longer.

Ladbrokes, William Hill and PT Entertainment were told to stop offering promotions that suck in customers but stop them withdrawing their winnings straight away. The firms have now promised to halt what the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) called ‘unfair online promotions that trap players’ money’.

The CMA highlighted promotions which offered bonus stake money on top of the bets paid for by customers. In order to cash out, some websites have forced gamblers to play multiple times, while others force players to take money in small instalments over a long period.

The CMA raised concerns that players ‘could be made to play for longer than they had bargained for before being able to withdraw their own money’.

It comes at a time of deepening scrutiny of the gambling industry, with ministers considering curbs on ‘crack cocaine’ fixed odds betting terminals.