You must have seen the news that Ladbrokes paid off “Hush Money” to five problem gamblers who stole money from their Dubai firm’s clients to gamble at Ladbrokes. The gambling operators also gave them incentives to keep playing, including flight tickets and more. The Guardian blew up the case in the media after the victims came forward, despite breaking the terms of their settlement agreement with Ladbrokes, which stated that they would keep the deal and the incident confidential. The hush money was around 1 million Euros.
Ladbrokes Parent Company (GVC) Comments on the Incident
GVC Holding, the parent company of Ladbrokes, stated that it does not comment on individual cases, and asked all parties involved to keep the contents of their dispute settlement confidential. GVC also added that this is a regular provision of these kinds of agreements.
GVC Holding explained that this is separate from their reporting obligations to the UKGC. They also added that it notified the gambling commission of the case at hand in the relevant time and that it will continue co-operating with the UK regulator as per the licensing agreement and requirements.
The Accusations of the Guardian towards Ladbrokes
The UK Newspaper, the Guardian, made a set of accusations regarding the dealings of Ladbrokes with the individuals in this case. It claimed that there was evidence that Ladbrokes offered many gifts for the individuals to retain his gambling habit. These gifts include a Christmas hamper, tickets to boxing events and racing events.
The individual claimed that he notified his Ladbrokes’ account manager at the beginning of his 5-month hiatus from wagering that he was afraid that he has a problem and that he was trying to quit. Ladbrokes stated that there isn’t any evidence that supports this accusation.
On the other hand, the gambling operator did continue to send gifts during, as well as following the 5-month hiatus. One of the text messages that the newspaper reported indicates that the account manager gave the individual a £5,000 in bonuses to his sports account after noticing that he hasn’t placed a bet for fourteen days.
Last week, two of the biggest names with Ladbrokes in the gambling industry in the UK, Paddy Power Betfair, and William Hill were facing similar compensation claims. They allegedly failed to block a problem gambler from placing stakes with money that he stole. It seems that these three cases might relate to the same person.
Theta individual has a business in the UAE, in Dubai, and he stated to the Guardian that he lost the company because of the gambling addiction. It was because he stole his clients’ money to fuel his habit.
The Gambling Commission Comments on the Matter
The UKGVC stated that the rules of the commission are clear and that gambling businesses have to work with them in cooperation and an open way. It includes sharing any information that they feel they should know. Lastly, the UKGC stated that if they find that any gambling business is not following these rules, they will have to take the necessary action.
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