Ladbrokes cops $22k fine for offering ‘problem gambler’ $425 in bonus bets

The commission heard the man told Ladbrokes ‘I think I’m a gambling addict’ and ‘my experience with Ladbrokes is a little short lived seeing that I did spend $3000 in the first couple days’.

The commission heard the staff member did not acknowledge the man’s comments about being a gambling addict and instead focused on whether there was anything Ladbrokes could do to ‘get (him) more entertained’.

The NT Racing Commission has fined online bookmaker Ladbrokes more than $22,000 after it offered a customer who described himself as “a gambling addict” $425 in bonus bets.

The commission heard the man called Ladbrokes on January 5, 2022 and told a customer service representative he “spent about $3000 (in the) first few days that I opened up the account”.

“Ahh I think I’m a gambling addict, umm and I think that my experience with Ladbrokes is a little short lived seeing that ah, I did spend ah, $3000 in the first couple days,” he said.

“Umm, I don’t know, I have a Sportsbet account, I use that, ahh you know, I, I don’t, I don’t really, I don’t really get a good umm, vibe out of it seeing what happened.

“Ahh I don’t know, maybe there’s something that ah, you can probably do to get me more entertained using, you know, Ladbrokes.”

Ladbrokes subsequently admitted its staff member did not acknowledge the man’s comments about being a gambling addict and “focused instead on the complainant’s query as to whether there was anything Ladbrokes could do to ‘get (him) more entertained’ using the Ladbrokes platform”.

The staff member put the man on hold “while he checked whether there were any bonus cash offers available” but the call was then disconnected.

The commission heard the man called back a short time later and spoke to another staff member who was unaware of the previous call and again asked “what Ladbrokes could do to retain him as a customer” without repeating any comments about problem gambling.

“Ladbrokes has advised that this customer service team member reviewed the complainant’s betting account and offered a 75 per cent deposit match up to $500 and added a $50, three bonus bet into the complainant’s account,” the decision reads.

In moderating the fine, the commission acknowledged the ‘prompt internal investigation undertaken by Ladbrokes and the subsequent disciplinary action taken’.

Later that day, the man deposited $500 in his account and received $425 in bonus bets before withdrawing the $500 and placing bets with the bonus money and winning $70.

The following day, the man again contacted Ladbrokes and again told the company he had a gambling problem, at which point the staff member closed his account as “self-excluded”.

“Upon reviewing the complainant’s account and telephone conversations with its customer service representatives, Ladbrokes formed the view that the first customer service representative had inadvertently overlooked the complainant’s admission to being a problem gambler,” the decision reads.

“As this was not in accordance with the customer service representative’s mandatory responsible gambling training, Ladbrokes issued a formal written warning to its employee.”

The commission determined that Ladbrokes had breached the industry’s code of practice and fined the company $22,032 for a breach of its licence conditions.

“While the commission considered imposing the full penalty fine available, it has taken into account the prompt internal investigation undertaken by Ladbrokes and the subsequent disciplinary action taken against the employee involved in the incident,” the decision reads.

For help visit: www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/