TLDR
- Petfre Limited, the operator behind Betfred.com, must pay £900,000 after a Gambling Commission investigation.
- The probe found failings in how the company monitored customers at risk of gambling harm.
- The review covered activity between October 2023 and June 2024.
- One customer lost nearly £18,000 in a single day after being flagged but not stopped.
- Petfre has a history of penalties, including £240,000 last year and £2.87 million in 2022.
Petfre Limited, the company behind Betfred.com, has been ordered to pay £900,000 after a Gambling Commission investigation. The regulator found failings in how the company protected customers from gambling harm.
The investigation followed a compliance assessment carried out in 2024. It looked at how Petfre monitored and interacted with customers between October 2023 and June 2024.
Regulators said the operator did not act fast enough when warning signs appeared. They also said its systems lacked the automation needed to protect vulnerable players.
Failings in Customer Interaction and Monitoring
The review found multiple breaches of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice. Petfre did not fully follow the Commission’s guidance on customer interaction.
The company relied on manual processes instead of automated systems. This created delays in spotting and responding to harm.
Under Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.4.3, operators must monitor customer activity from the moment an account is opened. Petfre’s system included a seven-day delay before flagged accounts were checked again.
This delay meant customers could keep gambling heavily without quick intervention. The Commission said this went against the purpose of the code.
In one case, a customer was flagged after going over a deposit limit. Staff chose not to take further action.
Within a day, that customer deposited and lost nearly £18,000. The Commission used this case to show the risk created by the delays.
John Pierce, the Commission’s Director of Enforcement, spoke about the case. He said diligent policies and procedures are the foundation of safer gambling in Britain.
Pierce said Petfre did not have effective enough procedures in place. He said this meant some customers showing signs of harm were not contacted quickly enough.
Petfre’s History of Regulatory Action
The Gambling Commission confirmed Petfre will pay £900,000 in lieu of a financial penalty. The money will go to the Consolidated Fund.
The settlement also covers the cost of the Commission’s investigation. Petfre agreed to the publication of a statement of facts about the case.
The regulator said Petfre’s past record played a role in the size of the fine. Similar issues had already been raised with other operators before this case.
Last year, Petfre received a £240,000 penalty over online slots breaches. In 2022, the company was fined £2.87 million for anti-money laundering and social responsibility breaches.
The Commission said Petfre cooperated fully during the investigation. The company also moved quickly to put an action plan in place.
Pierce said the gaps identified were unacceptable but added that the licensee acted fast. He said Petfre has since delivered an action plan and taken steps to show its current operating model meets the Commission’s requirements.
