Ladbrokes Coral fined £2.3 million for failures at Gala Interactive business

[The Buzz]

The Gambling Commission hit Ladbrokes Coral with a £2.3 million fine for breaching regulations that protect consumers.

A Gambling Commission investigation revealed that Gala Interactive failed to "effectively interact" with the two online gamblers who were "displaying problem gambling behaviour" and lost £1.3 million. Customer A lost £837,545 over 14 months and Customer B lost £432,765 over 11 months.

From the UKGC:

An aggravating factor was that during a previous case regarding similar failings, Gala told the Commission that customers of concern would be identified sooner and effectively handled. This assurance was made during the same time that Customer A and Customer B were gambling with Gala.

Sarah Harrison, Chief Executive at the Commission, said: “We will continue to take robust action where we see operator failures that harm consumers and the wider public.

“It is the responsibility of all operators – particularly key decision makers in those companies - to ensure they are protecting their customers and step in when there is behaviour that might indicate problem gambling.

“This did not happen in this case and the £2.3m penalty package should serve as a warning to other operators.”

Read more here: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk...y-package.aspx

[casius14]

When these fines come in, who exactly does the money go to? I assume not back to the players.... right?

Also, wouldn't surprise me if they had seen this coming..... had a massive clear out of affiliates or possibly just enough to to cover this fine? Call me a cynic....

[Former Member 14]

How did these two convicted thieves manage to deposit such large amounts?

• Via their bank accounts (credit/debit cards)
• Web Wallets
• Bitcoin

It's all well and good making Ladbrokes/Coral accountable, but the money has to come from somewhere, to be deposited in the 1'st place. I don't see any mention of that in the report. Worse, no investigation of the funding methods used. Seems UK banks etc., etc., are above the law in this case.

[Roulette Zeitung]

This is the result after playing Wild West over more than two decades. No one wanted to hear the voices who warned, that sooner or later the governments will find ways to put harm on this crooked industry, where every 2nd program is rogue and outstanding people in major parts cannot see any difference between drug dealers, pimps and this industry.

Now 100% of all programs - also the good ones - suffer from the result of the behavior of at least 50% crooks and criminals or silly idiots who do not really know, what they are doing.

And when e.g. in the meantime several newspapers or news sources from different countries are reporting about the crimes in this industry but the biggest conference promoter or Income Access still gives proven criminals high five and takes their money and so shares the loot, then no one should be surprised, that the governments declares war on this industry.

I am with the governments, because obviously this is the only language many understand. In 10 years I predict 65-70% of all programs are gone and 80% of all employees from today.

There will be so much restrictions, that the people will go again like in the decent and honest old day in the real land based casinos, because all that bonus traps, lousy handling of addiction, shady tricks and refusal of withdrawals again, again and again will find an end.

Believe me, this restrictions and actions by governments, is just the beginning. When you continue to be silent to everything like the BAC scandal, then you will have no job in 10 years, because then not Russian oligarchs will own programs but smart people, and they will closely look who did what or said nothing here on GPWA, the biggest stage in this industry.

Both players in this Ladbrokes Coral case were thieves and stole the money to play with it. This is not unusual in all casinos, but now the governments are taking any chance to stop this general behavior in this industry. The good programs should applaud, because they will survive in the long run.

What the governments are doing now is creating a new RICO Act.
That means, they will find a way to catch you all.
I mean the 50% of you, the crooks, criminals and idiots.
The other 50% have nothing to fear.
They should just adjust their thing, with a lot of patience and foresight.

Leopold

[Former Member 14]

When these fines come in, who exactly does the money go to? I assume not back to the players.... right?

A large portion of those fines, will be returned to the two (2) businesses where the money had been stolen....Sheesh... Did you not read the report???!!!

[Triple7]

When these fines come in, who exactly does the money go to? I assume not back to the players.... right?

Also, wouldn't surprise me if they had seen this coming..... had a massive clear out of affiliates or possibly just enough to to cover this fine? Call me a cynic....

To the victims of the players. The players had stolen the money from the company they work for.

Hm, could be of course. They've seen this coming of course.