Home Betfred hit with $1.1M fine by the Gambling Commission

Betfred hit with $1.1M fine by the Gambling Commission

Betfred have been hit with an £825,000 ($1.1 million) fine by the Gambling Commission due to money laundering and social responsibility failures.

The operator, owned by Done Brothers (Cash Betting) Limited, will also receive a warning and will have to undergo a third-party audit, ensuring the company is effectively implementing policies and procedures regarding money laundering and safer gambling.

The Gambling Commission criticized Betfred for being “unable to effectively identify and manage money laundering risks” which were related to their gaming machines.

Furthermore, Betfred also failed to “identify spend and associated financial indicators of gambling harm for customers using B3 gaming machines.”

The Gambling Commission’s Director of Enforcement said: “While the failings identified during the 2024 compliance assessment were predominantly technical breaches rather than arising from specific customer examples, they were nevertheless unacceptable, particularly with thresholds appearing too high and insufficiently risk based when assessed in practice, and deficiencies in some processes and procedures adopted by the licensee.

“We fully acknowledge the improvements the operator has already made since these issues were identified, and the independent audit will be key to confirming these changes are sustained so that the operator continues to be fully compliant with social responsibility and anti-money laundering requirements.”

Betfred’s high street shops could remain open

Before Rachel Reeves announced the budget, Betfred’s co-founder said that a tax hike could mean all of the company’s shops would disappear.

The General betting duty will rise from 15% to 25% from April 2027 on all wagers placed online. Reeves did not increase the tax on bets that will be placed in betting shops around the country, however.

Online gambling appears to be the key target for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and this news suggests that Betfred might not have to close any physical locations in the near future.

Featured Image: Credit to Edwardx on Wikimedia Commons, CC4.0

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Ross Kilvington is a Scottish freelance writer with extensive experience in both sport and iGaming. Since November 2021, he has contributed to publications such as FotMob, Golf Monthly, Today’s Golfer, Football FanCast, and PokerScout, covering everything from breaking news to in-depth features across a variety of sports and topics. More recently, Ross has focused on the betting and gambling industry, producing engaging and insightful content for FIRST.com, Bonus Finder, and Odds Now. Away from writing, he is a devoted Rangers supporter, an avid reader, and a father who enjoys spending time with his young family. A keen golfer, Ross is…