888 Hit With $10million Fine for Failing Vulnerable Gamblers

It’s the biggest gambling story of the week, with one of the world’s leading gaming operators smacked with a massive £7.8million ($10million) fine for ‘failing to protect potentially vulnerable customers’.

An investigation by the Gambling Commission discovered that more than 7000 customers who had voluntarily banned themselves from gambling were still able to access their accounts, one of whom bet £1.3million ($1.6million) over a span of 13 months, despite his self-exclusion from the site and at least £55,000 ($71,000) of the money being stolen from his employers.

A total of £3.5million ($4.5million) was wagered by gamblers who were aware of their problems and took advantage of the system of ‘self-exclusion’ from 888’s casino, poker and sport games, but realised ‘they were still able to access their accounts on the site’s bingo platform’, the commission found.

“While 888 did have self-exclusion procedures in place, they were not robust enough and failed to protect potentially vulnerable customers,” the Commission said in its findings, adding that the individual who still managed to wager £1.3million “raised serious concerns about 888’s safeguarding of customers at risk of gambling harm”.

Sarah Harrison, chief executive at the Gambling Commission, said:

“Safeguarding consumers is not optional. This penalty package of just under £8m reflects the seriousness of 888’s failings to protect vulnerable customers.”

The site has come under fire over the last year for several failings beyond that of the ‘protection of vulnerable gamblers’, with many believing they are simply not good for the UK gambling economy, one source stating that they are of ‘No benefit for the country and just suck out money’, PokerTube themselves ending their business relationship with 888 some time ago.

The good news from the Commission’s findings and the penalty imposed on 888 is that from the £7.8m fine, some £4.25m will be awarded to good causes helping gambling addiction, while the rest will be repaid to the customers affected.

Harrison explained:

"The 888 sanction package will ensure those affected don’t lose out, that the operator pays the price for its failings via a sum that will go to tackling gambling-related harm, and that independent assurance will be given to see that lessons are learnt.”

When asked for comment on the Commission’s ruling, 888 stated that:

“The company accepts the conclusion of the review”, while claiming that it “is committed to providing players with a responsible as well as enjoyable gaming experience.”