Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited, the operator behind Betfred’s online gambling services, has agreed to a payment of £900,000 ($1.19 million) in response to significant shortcomings found in its gambling harm prevention measures. This decision arose from a license review published on June 30, 2026, which followed a compliance assessment that took place from May to June 2024.
The UK Gambling Commission's investigation highlighted critical deficiencies in Petfre’s systems designed to monitor and intervene with customers showing signs of gambling-related harm. Notably, the operator failed to establish adequate customer interaction protocols, violating several aspects of the Social Responsibility Code Provision (SRCP) 3.4.3. This provision requires online operators to implement effective means for identifying, addressing, and reviewing customer risk.
Furthermore, the Commission found that the automation in detecting harm was insufficient. Petfre particularly lacked robust automated procedures to flag significant indicators such as excessive spending, increased playing time, and troubling behavioral patterns. The Commission pointed out that delays and a reliance on manual systems hampered effective safer-gambling practices.
Additionally, a procedural flaw allowed flagged customer accounts to remain inactive for seven days before being reviewed again, resulting in delayed interventions. For example, one customer reportedly lost £17,900 in just 24 hours without any follow-up contact.
Petfre also failed to clearly define “strong indicators of harm” in its policies and did not put in place automated responses to these indicators as mandated by SRCP 3.4.3(11).
In light of the findings, Petfre consented to pay £900,000 in lieu of a formal financial penalty. This agreement will include the publication of a statement of facts and a contribution towards the Gambling Commission’s investigative costs. All funds from this settlement will go to the government’s Consolidated Fund.
John Pierce, Director of Enforcement at the Gambling Commission, described these breaches as “significant,” stating, “The Commission found that Petfre didn't have sufficiently effective procedures in place, meaning some customers displaying markers of harm were not contacted quickly enough.” He acknowledged Petfre’s swift action to implement temporary controls and their development of a comprehensive action plan aimed at assuring compliance in the future.
Despite mitigating factors, such as Petfre's cooperation during the investigation, prior regulatory history and similar issues observed in other firms contributed to the final settlement amount.
This is not the first time Betfred has faced regulatory scrutiny. In December 2025, the company was fined £825,000 due to failures related to social responsibility and anti-money laundering concerns in its UK betting shops. The Commission criticized Betfred's ineffective policies for identifying players potentially subject to financial sanctions and noted that the thresholds for inquiries regarding users’ income sources were inadequately risk-based.
The latest enforcement action against Petfre is part of the Gambling Commission's broader initiative to enhance oversight of online gambling operators' safer-gambling frameworks. Just the previous week, the Commission ordered Stakelogic BV to pay £122,835 due to failures related to timing in their slot games.
