Gambling addict’s widow criticises regulator
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7 Dec 2024 •
Reading time: 2 minutes The widow of a man who took his own life after a gambling addiction has warned that more people will die because of the regulator’s refusal to investigate gambling-related suicides.
Annie Ashton, whose husband Luke took his own life, has announced legal action against the Gambling Commission over its decision not to sanction Betfair.
Coroner involves Betfair in Luke Ashton’s suicide inquiry
Ashton’s case was unique in that the coroner formally involved Betfair’s parent company, Flutter, in the investigation. The coroner ruled that gambling problems were a direct contributor to Luke’s death and criticised Betfair for failing to intervene despite clear signs. However, the regulator took no further action, much to Ashton’s frustration.
Regulator refuses to investigate
Following the investigation, Ashton asked the Gambling Commission if they would impose sanctions on Betfair. The regulator responded that it is not their role to investigate individual cases. Ashton disagrees, arguing that Betfair should have been stripped of their licence at least temporarily. She questions how much worse the situation has to get before the regulator takes action.
Insufficient protection for vulnerable gamblers
Luke Ashton spiralled into gambling addiction during the pandemic, placing over 100 bets a day. Despite these extreme gambling patterns, Betfair considered him a “low-risk” gambler. Ashton criticised the lack of oversight, arguing that the algorithms that were supposed to protect vulnerable users failed miserably.
Betfair admitted that only 2.1% of their customers had any human interaction in 2021, while research showed that 18% of gamblers were at risk. It also emerged that Betfair was already under special measures at the time of Luke’s death, but this was not disclosed to the inquest.
Legal action and calls for change
Ashton, who now campaigns for the charity Gambling With Lives, argues that the Gambling Commission is not protecting the interests of consumers. Instead, she says, they appear to be supporting the gambling industry. Lawyer Dan Webster, who is representing Ashton legally, insists that the regulator has not attached serious consequences to Betfair’s failings, giving the impression that the industry is being spared.
Flutter, Betfair’s parent company, has said that it has tightened its controls since Luke’s death. They stress that similar gambling behaviour would not be possible today.
Regulator’s response
The Gambling Commission expressed its condolences to Luke Ashton’s family and said that it had taken action against Betfair, including donating £635,123 to charity. However, the decision not to take further action remains under fire. Ashton and her legal team want the regulator to take suicides like Luke’s seriously and learn from these tragic cases.