Paddy Power Betfair Hit With Big Fine After Regulatory Failings
Paddy Power will pay £2 million after a United Kingdom Gambling Commission investigation found serious social responsibility failures across its Paddy Power and Betfair brands, exposing customers to prolonged periods of harmful gambling before intervention.
The settlement covers four remote operators trading under the group — PPB Entertainment Limited, PPB Counterparty Services Limited, Betfair Casino Limited and TSE Malta LP — and follows findings that customer protection systems were not sensitive enough to identify clear indicators of harm.
According to the Commission, one customer deposited £12,000 over 15 days before being flagged for review, while another deposited £25,000 in 25 days before any interaction took place. In another case, a customer lost £12,300 over five weeks before being contacted. One individual staked £86,000 in just 16 days, losing £6,000 without any manual account review despite the high velocity of spend.
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“This £2 million settlement reflects the seriousness of the failings identified and the importance of meeting social responsibility and customer interaction standards,” Gambling Commission Director of Enforcement John Pierce said.
“Our compliance assessment in 2024 uncovered examples where interactions fell far short of what is required. These failings should never have occurred. While the licensees co-operated fully with the investigation, accepted the failings early, and implemented an action plan quickly, this immediate response is the minimum we expect from operators when serious shortcomings are identified.
“Operators must ensure systems do identify and address harm work effectively and at the right time.
“Over-reliance on automation and failure to intervene when clear harm indicators are present exposes consumers to unnecessary risk. Where we find failings, we will act decisively to protect players.”
The investigation also highlighted a case where a customer placed more than 300 bets worth £20,000 during a single session lasting nearly eight hours, with harmful behaviour only identified after a loss trigger was reached.
It marks the second regulatory action against Paddy Power Betfair in recent years, following a £490,000 fine in 2023 for marketing to vulnerable consumers.
Paddy Power Betfair released a statement acknowledging the regulatory failings but did not comment on the findings of the Gambling Commission, instead focusing on specific rules breaches.
The Gambling Commission said the case should serve as a warning to the wider industry, stressing that operators must intervene earlier and not rely too heavily on automated systems to detect gambling-related harm.
Paddy Power Betfair is one of the biggest gambling companies in the United Kingdom, and in many international jurisdictions, with their online casinos and sports betting sites regarded as top shelf.
