UKGC Imposes Penalty on Betfred Parent Company for RTS Violations
UK Gambling Commission Takes Action Against Betfred’s Parent Company
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) has handed down a penalty to Petfre Limited, the parent company of Betfred, for failing to meet certain regulatory requirements. One significant issue identified was the operator’s failure to properly display players’ net position during gameplay, an important transparency measure mandated by UK gambling regulations.
Breaches in Remote Technical Standards by Petfre Limited
The UKGC announced a fine of £240,000 ($324,000) against Petfre Limited, which manages the betting platforms betfred.com and oddsking.com. The penalty was issued following breaches in the Remote Technical Standards (RTS), which led to customers being exposed to increased risk.
One breach involved games not accurately showing the net position of players—the amount they have won or lost during a session—a requirement designed to promote transparency. Furthermore, some games misrepresented losses as wins by celebrating prizes that did not compensate for the amount wagered. The RTS explicitly states that gambling systems must not celebrate returns that are less than or equal to the stake placed.
This regulation aims to protect players by ensuring that celebratory features do not mislead them into thinking they have gained when their net position is negative. Such misleading displays can impair a player’s ability to understand their actual balance and potentially lead to poor gambling decisions.
Upon being informed of the breaches, Petfre Limited promptly removed all implicated games and worked to align their operations with regulatory standards.
Implications for the Broader Gambling Industry
This is not the first time the UKGC has taken enforcement action against Petfre Limited. In 2022, the company faced a substantial fine of £2.87 million for significant shortcomings related to social responsibility and anti-money laundering controls.
John Pierce, the UKGC’s Director of Enforcement, emphasized the importance of clearly informing players about their net position to minimize harm. While acknowledging Petfre Limited’s quick response to rectify the issues, Pierce reinforced that the seriousness of the violations justified the penalty.
“While we acknowledge the operator acted swiftly to remove the affected games, this enforcement action should serve as a clear signal to the wider industry to review and strengthen their compliance practices—and to ensure that gameplay is fair and consumers are not exposed to unnecessary risk.”
John Pierce, Director of Enforcement, UKGC
In a related update, the UKGC recently reported a significant rise in its expenditure, particularly citing a £14.4 million ($19.4 million) increase over the past year, primarily due to a surge in legal costs connected to several ongoing lawsuits.
