Online gambling sites probed by CMA over complicated rules
By Bianca Boorer
Date: Friday 21 Oct 2016
(ShareCast News) - The competition and markets authority (CMA) has launched an enquiry into whether customers are treated fairly on online gambling sites.
Onling gambling has risen in recent times with 5.5m people in the UK regularly logging on to betting websites.
The competition watchdog said many people found it difficult to win the money they were expecting due to complicated terms set by the sites.
"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,"said Nisha Arora, the CMA's senior director for consumer enforcement.
Gambling sites usually advertise welcome bonuses of up to several thousand pound or "free bets". The small print however may exclude certain games from the deal or require customers to spend large sums of money before they can qualify.
The CMA is also concerned that customers will find it difficult to withdraw their deposit when they want to stop playing or challenge decisions made by the site. Complaints have to sometimes be made within a week and betting sites can alter the odds without the knowledge of the gamers.
The industry have agreed to work alongside the CMA on the inquiry.
Chief executive of the Gambling Commission Sarah Harrison said: "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."
"However, operators are still not doing enough. I continue to have concerns that many of these appear to bamboozle rather than help the customer make informed choices," she added.
Campaign group, Justice4Punters, claimed bookmakers were targeting players who use logic and mathematics to win on a regular basis by either closing their accounts or refusing to pay out until certain conditions were honoured.
The Remote Gambling Association however sad there was no reason to believe there were widespread failings amongst its members.
The investigation could result in enforcement action against individual gaming sites or prosecution in the courts.
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