888 Paying Millions in the Name of Social Responsibility

The 888 firm is in serious hot water, after a technical flaw was discovered by the UK Gambling Commission, regarding the ability of users to continue wagering after utilizing the option to bar themselves from their accounts to prevent problem gambling. This opportunity is provided by online casinos as a method of taking a stand in the name of social responsibility. However, with a total of 7,000 customers allowed to continue to gamble upon initiating this setting, the 888 company is being fined a record fee of £7.8 million!

A £4.25m portion of the company’s fees will go to problem gambling causes, while an additional £3.5m will repay deposits made by those customers who chose to utilize the temporary break. £62,000 will also be paid back to an employer, who had £55,000 gambled away in stolen funds by an employee. The employee, and 888 customer, spent more than £1.3m over 13 months, before being identified as a problem gambler.

The following is a direct statement from The Gambling Commission: “the lack of interaction with the customer, given the frequency, duration and sums of money involved in the gambling, raised serious concerns about 888’s safeguarding of customers at-risk of gambling harm.”

“Our requirements are that every company must provide the facility for every customer to be able to bar themselves from gambling. These 7,000 looked to do that. But 888 didn’t deliver it as effectively as they should have done,” added Chief executive for the Gambling Commission, Sarah Harrison.

"There are around two million people now in Britain who either are problem gamblers or are at risk of problem gambling. Companies are beginning to put different practices in place to identify people right up front, but more needs to be done. We need to go further and we need to go faster," Harrison continued.

Rival brand, Ladbrokes Coral, chief executive, Jim Mullen, also commented on the situation to BBC, adding, "We have a responsibility to look after our customers. Ladbrokes Coral are also on that journey and there are issues that we've found in the past. But we are working with the Gambling Commission. So there’s no pushback from Ladbrokes Coral on making sure we can provide a safer environment for gamblers.”

Source:

“Gambling firm 888 to pay over £7.8million for failing vulnerable customers”, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, August 31, 2017.