An investigation by the regulator revealed that two customers were allowed to gamble “significant sums” of stolen money on the company’s betting exchange, Betfair.
One of the customers was the former boss of Birmingham Dogs Home, Simon Price, who spent money with Betfair that he had stolen from the charity. He was jailed in December for five years for defrauding the charity of £900,000 over a four-year period.
Failings were also identified involving three online customers and in the betting firm’s shops, including weaknesses in its source of wealth and social responsibility checks
Paddy Power Betfair fined £2.2m for failing to stop bets with stolen money (Guardian)
Paddy Power Betfair fined £2.2m over gambling check failings (RTÉ)
They only ban people if they keep winning right? They love the losers.. stolen money, families destroyed, they don’t care.
I spoke to a few people who worked as telephone operators for the telebetting arm of an Irish bookmaker who all told me the same thing – “any account in consistent customer profit will be restricted”. The restrictions could include reduction in maximum stake allowed, offering starting price only or stopping the account temporarily or indefinitely.
Only I had similar happen to me I’d think you were lying. I won a considerable amount a few years ago with PP, but I used a small amount of the winnings to keep playing. I was up a good few thousand for the year. PP refused to pay out on Bet on top goal scorer in the premier league, cutting the story short, the registered card is from a joint account(no problem for over a year while I was losing),I contacted them anyway and in the process they said “but your not the name on the card” I explained how it was a joint account and the bank just put one name on the card and how when I was contacting about other things through out year there was no problem.They refunded my money and blocked my account, no argument just “No, your blocked”.
This isn’t their first fine btw
And it’s pin money compared to their turnover and profits.
It’s a companies responsibility to find out where everywhere customer gets their money, Oh no wait, its absolutely NOT. So will the shops they bought food in be fined, if it can be proven they spent significantly more than they use to. You know since they used stolen money.
It is if they are a designated person under the criminal justice (money laundering and terrorist finance offences) act 2010, which they are.
The act has essentially co-opted various company types into the fight against financial crime.
This is their business model; Making money off those who have uncontrollable addictions and a desire to disengage from reality. They don’t target the occasional better who puts a couple of quid on the grand national or the Galway races. There is no money to be made off them. A friend of mine used to work in a bookmaker and she said it was the most depressing job she ever had. The same faces in there, day in day out, moving from the pub to the stool in the bookies…
It’s that old line from Squeeze’s Up The Junction “The Devil came and took me, from bar to street to bookie…”
But yeah, and it’s always the ‘ah sure it’s only a bit of craic’ line that gets trotted out by the bookies. The grubby truth is that because we’ve a blookstock industry that employs plenty, gambling will always get an easy, er, ride.
Have a look at their share price over the last year. Not a pretty picture
It’s been very clever and devious the way in which watching football and “having a flutter” are inextricably linked these days.
It’s a disgusting marketing strategy
i have always maintained that i am too mean to gamble.
Any fines dished out in Ireland? Several high profile cases in recent years, but I don’t recall any fines being imposed? Is it even possible under any legislation here? There are various money laundering acts in place and there is a a responsibility on financial institutions at least to comply.