Betfred Owner Fined £240,000 Over Disguised Losses in Online Slots

Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited, the company behind and operating the Betfred brand, has been fined £240,000 ($323,110) by the UK Gambling Commission for violations related to some of its online slot games.

The Gambling Commission explained that Petfre operated multiple games that did not meet the requirements of the Remote Technical Standards (RTS). These included hosting games that did not display a player’s net position and other games that celebrated losses disguised as wins.

In its assessment, the commission highlighted that the RTS mandates clear display of a customer’s net position. Additionally, the standards specify that games must not celebrate a return less than or equal to the total stake.

The regulator expressed concern over celebratory effects occurring when a player was in an overall losing position. Such features could impair a player’s ability to interpret their gameplay accurately and make informed decisions.

Petfre, which also manages the Oddsking.com brand alongside Betfred, responded quickly by removing the affected games. Nevertheless, due to the nature of the breach, the Gambling Commission decided to impose a fine.

In February 2021, the commission targeted various online slot features, including a ban on celebrating losses as wins. At that time, former Gambling Commission CEO Neil McArthur noted that evidence showed such features “increased the risk of harm to customers,” alongside other practices like auto-play and slot spin speeds exceeding 2.5 seconds.

Commenting on the case, John Pierce, director of enforcement at the Gambling Commission, expressed disappointment over the breach. He stated that game features which hinder a consumer’s ability to make informed choices are inappropriate and “posed a clear risk.”

“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 remains fair and consumers are not exposed to unnecessary risk,” he added.

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Incidentally, this marks the second occasion on which Petre has received a financial penalty from the UK regulator. In September 2022, the operator was fined £2.9 million for failures related to social responsibility and anti-money laundering measures.

This case also continues a trend of penalties issued by the commission. In September, Maple International Ventures, operator of Lottomart.com, was ordered to pay £360,000 for similar social responsibility and anti-money laundering shortcomings.

Furthermore, ProgressPlay faced a £1 million fine in August for comparable breaches. Based in Cyprus, ProgressPlay owns 134 gambling sites, including Acedbet.com, Casinomite.com, and Playmagical.com. Betfred Slots fined