Luke Ashton
12 Jul 2023 · Coroner Ivan Cartwright · Leicester City and South Leicestershire
The coroner's concerns
1. inadequate player protection tools
“I remain concerned that the player protection tools, as mentioned above, were and are inadequate to protect a person such as Mr. [name redacted], who was a problem gambler with a worsening problem, specifically that such tools do not amount to any or any meaningful interaction with the gambler, or any intervention into the practices of the gambler.”
2. failure to flag problem gambler
“2) I remain concerned that the algorithm devised and operated by Betfair, to assist its staff in, amongst other things, observing and monitoring the gambling patterns and practices of its customers, failed to flag up Mr. [name redacted] as a problem gambler, despite the increases in his time online (gambling) the value of his deposits and the size of his losses, in part because his gambling practices, even in the last 10-12 weeks of his life, were deemed not to be exceptional, when averaged among gambling customers”
3. judgment based on regulatory standards only
“I remain concerned that, as was apparent through the evidence of a senior employee witness during the course of the inquest, the operator Betfair appears to judge the extent of its responsibilities to gambling customers solely with regard to industry (regulatory) standards, rather than current good or best practice in order to prevent further harming problem gamblers, or those who, as a result of their changing practices and patterns are likely to become problem gamblers.”