Betfred’s online gambling business has been ordered to pay £900,000 after the UK Gambling Commission identified significant shortcomings in its safer gambling systems, including delays in protecting customers showing signs of gambling-related harm.
The regulator’s investigation found that Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited, which operates Betfred’s online platform, did not have effective automated processes to detect risky gambling behaviour. According to the Commission, weaknesses in its monitoring systems meant customers displaying signs of harm were not identified or contacted quickly enough.
One case highlighted by the regulator involved a customer who lost £17,900 within a 24-hour period without receiving timely intervention from the operator. The Commission said this reflected broader deficiencies in Betfred’s customer protection measures and its ability to respond to emerging gambling risks.
The investigation also concluded that the company relied too heavily on manual processes instead of automated monitoring capable of identifying indicators such as prolonged gambling sessions, unusually high spending and other behavioural warning signs. These shortcomings breached the UK’s social responsibility requirements for remote gambling operators.
The £900,000 settlement is higher than the initial proposed amount after the Gambling Commission considered aggravating factors, including Betfred’s previous regulatory history and the wider need to improve industry standards.
This is the latest regulatory action involving Betfred. In December 2025, the company’s retail betting business was ordered to pay £825,000 following separate failures related to anti-money laundering controls and social responsibility measures in its UK betting shops.
The Commission said the latest enforcement action forms part of its continued efforts to strengthen consumer protection across Britain’s gambling sector and ensure operators maintain effective systems to identify and assist customers at risk of gambling harm.