William Hill fined £19.2m by gambling commission

[ODPaul82]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65091257

Fairly chunky fine, largest they've dished out since Entains one last year

[Archery1969]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65091257

Fairly chunky fine, largest they've dished out since Entains one last year

They should have revoked their licence.

[xtrader16]

The gambling commission needs to clamp down on Bookmakers who allow people to blow funds on the Casino games and not Horse Racing or Football bets. There is zero context in stating a Customer was allowed to open a new account and deposit £43,000 before losing £37,000 inside one hour. If the customer was a multi millionaire who wanted £37k on a 1.5 Fav that fell at the last - so what. Or did this customer deposit £43k and start gambling £1k a spin on number 8, 37 times.

The Gambling Commission has no jurisdiction, as far as I am concerned, into how we as individuals spend our own money - it has nothing to do with them at all.

They should never have allowed Bookmakers to get involved with Casino games and and we are paying the price their greed and stupidity. I say abolish the Gambling Commission and re-establish it with new people and new ideas. It is them that should go not us.

[Archangel]

£19.2m seems a large number, but thats in context of a company group that has revenues of over £1 billion

I am not sure slap on the wrist fines will stop the reckless practices of gambling companies in the same way they havent stopped them in banks

[ShaunWhite]

They should have revoked their licence

The law is supposed to punish the perpetrator. Taking their licence puts the punishment on the 12,000 innocent employees who'd become unemployed, and fines impact on the shareholders. I'd rather see custodial sentances for management. There's a real reluctance in this country to imprison people if they wear a nice suit and tie. 12 months inside would be a deterant they might actually take notice of.

But the popular view seems to be the GC should just get their nose out of how people choose to spend their money.

[Derek27]

Money laundering regulations are primarily there to make life harder for terrorists and drug dealers. If a few compulsive gamblers can evade them I wonder how many more astute serious criminals are going unhindered.

[Archangel]

Has anyone here actually sent their personal financial information to a bookmaker ?

[ODPaul82]

Has anyone here actually sent their personal financial information to a bookmaker ?

Not physically sent but had to take photo of passport and bank statement & then attach to 365 portal
Created a new account about 2 years ago for video streams as had very historic one locked & managed to enter my DOB in wrong.

[Michael5482]

Has anyone here actually sent their personal financial information to a bookmaker ?

Been asked by Ladbrokes and Sky Bet in the past both when I've had decent wins and sent them nothing other than send me my winnings.

The GC have stated on record that bookmakers haven't been asked by the GC or in legislation for customers to provide pay slips and bank statements it's something the bookmakers have concocted up, makes you wonder why bookmakers are asking for them and what there doing with them.

[jamesedwards]

The issues uncovered by the commission between January 2020 and October 2021 included:

• one person was allowed to open a new account and bet £32,500 over two days without any checks

• the group failed to apply a 24-hour delay between receiving requests for an increase in a credit limit and granting it.

• One customer was allowed to place a £100,000 bet immediately, even though he had a £70,000 credit limit

I smell fish here. £100,000 bet? I remember getting refused for a couple of hundred pounds and then being limited to under £10 on all bets within hours at William Hill. And since when did a bookmaker offer credit?

[Derek27]

The issues uncovered by the commission between January 2020 and October 2021 included:

• one person was allowed to open a new account and bet £32,500 over two days without any checks

• the group failed to apply a 24-hour delay between receiving requests for an increase in a credit limit and granting it.

• One customer was allowed to place a £100,000 bet immediately, even though he had a £70,000 credit limit

I smell fish here. £100,000 bet? I remember getting refused for a couple of hundred pounds and then being limited to under £10 on all bets within hours at William Hill. And since when did a bookmaker offer credit?

It might have been a Nigerian prince or high-ranking politician.

[Archangel]

Been asked by Ladbrokes and Sky Bet in the past both when I've had decent wins and sent them nothing other than send me my winnings.

The GC have stated on record that bookmakers haven't been asked by the GC or in legislation for customers to provide pay slips and bank statements it's something the bookmakers have concocted up, makes you wonder why bookmakers are asking for them and what there doing with them.

I would be very reluctant to send a bookmaker my personal financial information. Who would have access to that info, and for how long would they keep it? In an age of scrutany on data protection , its amazing they are even allowed to ask for it.
The fact that the GC have stated that they havent requested it makes you wonder

[wearthefoxhat]

What if you went into a high street bookie placed a £2 acca on the footy and won £10,000.

Will they then try and carry out affordability checks? On a £2 bet?