Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited, which operates Betfred's online gambling services, has agreed to pay £900,000 ($1.19 million) due to significant shortcomings in its safer gambling protocols as identified by the UK Gambling Commission. This decision follows a licence review published on June 30, 2026, stemming from a compliance assessment carried out between May and June 2024.
The investigation revealed serious deficiencies in Petfre's automated monitoring and intervention systems designed to safeguard customers who show signs of gambling-related harm. One of the key areas of concern was the company's inadequate customer interaction systems. Petfre did not meet several requirements outlined in Social Responsibility Code Provision (SRCP) 3.4.3, which mandates that remote operators implement effective mechanisms for identifying and assessing customer risk.
The inquiry also found insufficient automation in identifying harmful behaviors. The Gambling Commission noted that Petfre lacked robust automated processes to detect critical indicators, such as excessive spending, extended gaming sessions, and behavioral patterns associated with harm. Additionally, there were delays attributed to manual procedures instead of automated responses in Petfre’s safer gambling strategies.
A significant procedural issue arose where a customer account flagged for review could not be re-flagged for seven days, leading to delays in necessary interventions. An incident was highlighted where one customer lost £17,900 within 24 hours without any follow-up contact from the operator.
Furthermore, Petfre's policy failed to clearly define “strong indicators of harm” and did not establish automated responses to those indicators, as required by SRCP 3.4.3(11).
After the assessment, Petfre agreed to pay £900,000 instead of facing a stricter financial penalty. This agreement also included a commitment to publish a statement of facts and contribute to the regulatory costs incurred during the investigation. All the funds from this settlement will go to the government’s Consolidated Fund.
John Pierce, the director of enforcement at the Gambling Commission, labeled the 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 the company’s swift action in implementing interim measures to address immediate concerns and their commitment to developing a satisfactory action plan to meet regulatory standards.
Despite these efforts, the operator’s history of regulatory issues and failures in other operators influenced the final financial settlement. In a previous instance in December 2025, Betfred was required to pay £825,000 due to deficiencies in social responsibility and anti-money laundering practices at its UK betting shops, including a lack of an effective policy to identify customers subject to financial sanctions. The Gambling Commission scrutinized the risk thresholds set for probing users’ income sources, which were deemed insufficiently rigorous at that time.
This latest enforcement action is part of the Gambling Commission's broader initiative to enhance oversight of online gambling operators’ safer gambling practices. Just the week prior, Stakelogic BV was found to have failed in their slot games and was ordered to pay £122,835.
