The Times has reported this morning that the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) wants to get tough on online bookmakers’ terms and conditions with regards to denied customer payouts, restricted odds and promotions.
The newspaper reports that the authority is expected to undertake an industry investigation reviewing bookmakers’ ‘small print’ and further betting market restrictions which may have denied consumers wins or appropriate payouts.
Of particular concern, are terms that allow bookmakers to reduce odds on winning bets, and refuse payouts to winning accounts relating to breaches money laundering rules or promotional abuse.
Nisha Arora, the CMA’s senior director for consumer enforcement, said: “Gambling inevitably involves taking a risk, but it shouldn’t be a con. We’ve heard worrying complaints suggesting people may be lured into signing up for promotions with little chance of winning because of unfair and complex conditions.”
The CMA probe could likely lead to greater scrutiny placed on the UK gambling industry with online bookmakers asked to provide further evidence relating to customer denial of payments and accounts being frozen.
Sarah Harrison Chief Executive of the UK Gambling Commission stated that certain practices undertaken by online bookmakers had ‘bamboozled’ betting customers.
“Gambling, by its very nature, is always going to involve risk but customers must have faith that, if they win, they will not end up feeling that the deck is stacked against them because of an obscure condition that they did not properly understand.”
The report of a pending CMA probe into industry terms and conditions, follow this month’s news that the UK government would review its advertising policy with regards to bookmaker marketing pre-watershed.
As yet, no industry stakeholders or representatives have commented on the CMA investigation.
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