One of the leading online gambling operators, Sky Bet, has allegedly been violating players’ rights through certain clause in their terms and conditions, which a campaigner defending customers’ rights believes is aimed at persuading the brand’s customers not to file legal complaints.
Under the current Terms and Conditions of Sky Bet, which the company presents to its players to agree to before getting the chance to make a bet, the Independent Betting Arbitration Service (IBAS) has been displayed as an alternative provider of resolution disputes in cases when customers are not satisfied with the manner in which their complaint has been managed.
Apart from that, the Terms and Conditions in question also contain a statement that the decision of the provider of alternative dispute resolution would be final for both parties and they would not be able to take further legal action to courts once the decision is announced.
Sky Bet issued a statement yesterday, confessing that it had not recently updated their Terms and Conditions, as well as their promotions mechanisms. The company, however, explained that it was reviewing their General Terms and Conditions in order to make sure that they are in line with the latest CMA’s guidance in terms of fairness.
Gambling Operators’ Fairness Policies under CMA Scrutiny
For the time being, the iGaming companies which operate under licenses issued by the UK Gambling Commission use their Terms and Conditions of their own. The problem is that the extent of the terms and conditions could vary when different providers are regarded. In addition, campaigners for customers’ rights have blamed operators for using rules that appear to favour them much more rather than the customer, for which betting companies have been closely monitored over the past few years.
Allegedly, some gambling companies which operate on the territory of the UK have been using their Terms and Conditions in order to delay winnings withdrawals or even avoid them when possible. The so-called “dormancy fees” have also suffered a lot of criticism, as many operators impose such taxes accounts which have been inactive for a while. These taxes, however, also widely vary depending on the gambling company. The problem is that each company still has the right to determine both the time that must elapse before a customer’s account is categorised as “inactive” and the frequency and size of the fees to be charged.
As Casino Guardian reported earlier today, the UK Gambling Commission has welcomed the latest enforcement action of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) focused on investigating iGaming businesses and more specifically, if the latter treat their customers in a free and transparent manner. Back in February 2018, a number of gambling companies reached an agreement with the CMA to change the terms and conditions of some the their online promotions which were called unfair.
Yesterday, the Competition and Markets Authority revealed that new enforcement action was launched against three other firms, but refused to provide further details on the matter, and left the companies unnamed.
- Author
Olivia Cole
