See Why and How 888 Casino Holdings Will Pay Millions in Fine

For not doing what is expected of it in terms of corporate social responsibilities, the UK gambling firm named 888 holdings has been penalized. The fact is that the company that operates the 888 Casino failed to protect problem gamblers as it is expected to. Sequel to this, the company has been slammed with a fine of £7.8 million (NZ$14 million) by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) which is the firm that handles such cases. The 888 holdings have also accepted the fine, and will pay for what it called a ‘technical failure’.

About 700 players with gambling vulnerabilities decided to go for the self-exclusion package in the company’s gambling website. However, this was not respected by the firm, as their self-exclusion state was made ineffective. So, they were still given access to online bingo on the firm’s gambling website. Their sites include 888Poker, 888Games and 888 Casino .

Serious concerns for 888 holdings

This was revealed when one vulnerable player was fished out, and that led to a comprehensive investigation by the body. The player has been gambling with funds stolen from his boss at work. Because of this free money, he was able to gamble up to £1.24 million (NZ$2.23 million) just within 13 months. The fine that the 888 is expected to pay will go into repayment for the duped employer, and refunds to those players that were not excluded as they had wished.

The remaining NZ$7.67 million will go to the body that focuses on gambling-related harm, awareness about it, and solutions to it. The investigation started in May after the discovery, and throughout the period of the investigation, the UKGC got total cooperation from the 888 group that operates the 888 casino UK. The group came out after the fine was given to say that they will henceforth focus on areas of responsible gaming, so as to ensure that customers are given the best possible experience.

Problem gambling in New Zealand and the UK

The two countries have a lot of incidences of problem gambling. Presently, more than 80, 000 Kiwis are undergoing gambling addiction treatments. So help is needed by many in that angle. If you are among those with the problem, or you know anyone who has, these bodies can help you; Salvation Army Problem Gambling Foundation Gambling Helpline New Zealand Under the gambling laws of NZ, the self-exclusion system could also be used by any player of Kiwi origin or their relatives. You can contact us at the NZ casinos for more information and news about gambling in NZ.