Key Moments:
- Paddy Power Betfair agreed to a £2 million payment to the UK Gambling Commission after a regulatory investigation into responsible gaming failures.
- An audit in 2024 revealed five instances of problematic customer behavior that were not identified promptly by the operators.
- Paddy Power Betfair previously received a £490,000 fine in 2023 for marketing to vulnerable consumers.
Regulatory Findings and Financial Penalties
Paddy Power Betfair has reached an agreement to pay £2 million to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) after the regulator concluded an in-depth investigation into lapses in social responsibility and customer engagement. The penalties involve four entities associated with Paddy Power and Betfair: PPB Entertainment Limited, PPB Counterparty Services Limited, Betfair Casino Limited, and TSE Malta LP.
This marks the second substantial fine levied against Paddy Power Betfair for failing to uphold responsible gambling protocols and for delayed identification of risky player activity.
Audit Exposes Deficiencies in Player Protection
A 2024 audit revealed that the operators’ monitoring systems were inadequate at flagging potential signs of problem gambling in a timely fashion. The UKGC, as cited by Investing.com, highlighted five notable cases:
| Case | Details |
|---|---|
| High Deposits Over Short Period | Customer deposited £12,000 in 15 days before triggering a review. |
| Sustained Losses | Player lost £12,300 over five weeks prior to any operator intervention. |
| Unaddressed Large Deposits | Customer deposited £25,000 in 25 days with no engagement from the operator. |
| High Wagering Activity | Customer wagered £86,000 across 16 days, losing £6,000, without manual review. |
| Excessive Betting Sessions | Customer exhibited significant behavioral changes including a 7-hour and 46-minute session, placing over 300 bets totaling £20,000, with controls only activating after a loss trigger. |
According to UKGC Enforcement Director John Peers, this £2 million settlement ‘reflects the seriousness of the breaches identified and the importance of complying with social responsibility and customer interaction standards’.
Operator Response and Prior Violations
The UKGC pointed out that the operators cooperated fully and acknowledged the deficiencies at an early stage, acting swiftly to address them. However, the commission notes that this is considered a baseline expectation for operators when material shortcomings are identified.
Paddy Power Betfair has also previously faced disciplinary action, receiving a £490,000 penalty in 2023 for marketing directed at vulnerable players.
UKGC’s Supervisory Philosophy
In an exclusive discussion with SiGMA News, UKGC Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Gardner described the commission’s regulatory strategy. Gardner explained that the primary aim is not to punish, but to raise operational standards and improve protections for players. Each enforcement measure is made public so the industry as a whole can benefit from learnings and strengthen responsible practices. She described this broader approach as turning “individual mistakes… into collective improvement”, which serves as a cornerstone of the UKGC’s mission in secure gaming.
Gardner noted that, since April 2025, 25 operators have paid a collective total of £15 million in fines and settlements. She emphasized that more than 2,000 licensed operators exist in the UK, with the majority adhering to the rules, and suggested that headlines may sometimes distort perceptions of regulatory toughness.
She added that enforcement is just one aspect of the commission’s wider toolkit, with a focus on achieving compliance early and correcting harmful practices swiftly to benefit players. The commission’s approach conceives supervision as a means for education and industry-wide consistency.
Original Publication and Further Industry Updates
This article was first published in Russian on 17 December 2025.
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- Author
Daniel Williams
