Paddy Power Betfair has agreed to a £2 million regulatory settlement with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) following an investigation that identified failures in the operator’s social responsibility controls.
The settlement, confirmed on December 17, applies to four Flutter Entertainment subsidiaries: PPB Entertainment Limited, PPB Counterparty Services Limited, Betfair Casino Limited, and TSE Malta LP.
The Commission’s investigation, conducted between April and May 2024, found that the operator failed to comply with specific paragraphs of the Social Responsibility Code Provision (SRCP) 3.4.3. These failures primarily involved systems that were insufficiently sensitive to indicators of potential gambling harm, resulting in delayed interactions with at-risk customers.
Investigation Findings
According to the Commission’s public statement, the operator did not intervene effectively in several instances where customers displayed high-velocity spending or extended play sessions. The regulator cited specific examples of these failures:
- One customer deposited £12,000 within a 15-day period before being flagged for review.
- Another customer staked £86,000 over 16 days, losing £6,000, without triggering a manual review.
- A third customer engaged in a continuous session lasting 7 hours and 46 minutes, placing over 300 bets, before the account was reviewed.
John Pierce, Director of Enforcement at the Gambling Commission, stated that the settlement reflects the seriousness of the failings. “Our compliance assessment in 2024 uncovered examples where interactions fell far short of what is required,” Pierce said. He noted that while the operator cooperated fully with the investigation, the breaches required a formal regulatory response.
The £2 million payment will be directed towards socially responsible purposes. This settlement action marks the second significant regulatory outcome for Paddy Power Betfair in recent years, following a £490,000 fine in 2023 for marketing communications sent to self-excluded customers.
Flutter Entertainment has acknowledged the findings and implemented an action plan to address the identified weaknesses in its customer interaction framework.
